


After All This Time

by robyn118



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - Never Met, Arguing, Camping, College, Denial of Feelings, Fighting, First Kiss, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, M/M, Making Up, Masturbation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Outdoor Sex, Slow Burn, Truth or Dare, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:21:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 23,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25455343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robyn118/pseuds/robyn118
Summary: Rhett gets in trouble while in college. His parents take him on a family camping trip. It's supposed to be a place where Rhett can get his head on straight and think about his mistakes. He's ready for a couple weeks of hell - until he meets Link, another guy his age staying at the campground. What he thought would be the worst two weeks of his life is quickly turning around!
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 144
Kudos: 130





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here I go again! Apparently I have a thing for "Never Met" tropes ;) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Rhett sat in the back seat of his parent's car, the view of the trees outside zooming past him in a blur of green. He rested his head against the window, feeling the vibration of the car and it soothed his mind. 

It wasn't restless exactly, just jumbled. Had been ever since it happened. He couldn't seem to make a single coherent thought, nothing that came out of it was doing him any good. That's how he found himself - a sophomore in college with a basketball scholarship - in the back seat of his parent's sedan on the way to the campground in their attempt to shake some sense into their stupid son's brain. 

Actually, in all honesty, he didn't have the basketball scholarship anymore and he was lucky to still be considered a student at NC State at all, after his royal fuck up.

He'd spent too much time allowing himself the freedom that college offered him and not enough time studying the actual coursework that was set upon him. He fell behind and instead of manning up and admitting to - his parents, his counselor, hell, even a friend - none of that was a possibility, he instead decided to cheat. Not just cheat, as in copy some answers for a test from one of the know-it-all students in class. No, the brilliant idea Rhett had was to pay someone to write a few term papers for him - worth more than fifty percent of his grade. He managed to skate by the past two semesters with no one finding out. 

That changed a few weeks ago. His English professor recognized the latest essay, (one he'd paid good money for, by the way) as it had already been turned in by another student last year. 

Rhett was caught.

The administration tried making a deal with him, get him to give up who sold him the paper and he could keep his scholarship. He didn't take it, seemed dirty, worse than the actual cheating. They made it pretty clear that the culprit would be getting expelled. He couldn't stand the thought of ruining someone's life over something he really didn't even care that much for anymore. 

Basketball used to be his life. His dream was to be in the NBA playing alongside some of the greatest athletes, some of his heroes. Until he realized it wasn't. It was more a dream of his father's and once Rhett realized that - he didn't care anymore. It had been a long time coming, getting caught just helped Rhett make up his mind. 

So, they took his scholarship away, but thankfully let him remain a student - Rhett was at least grateful that they believed the 'this was the one and only time' story he fed them. It was a fun conversation with his parents. The usual, "We expected more from you." talk, with a very red-faced Mr. McLaughlin. 

He would have felt more guilty about it, causing his parents to have to fork out the remainder of his tuition for the next two years but it wasn't like they couldn't afford it. And they made it very clear that he would be sticking with a degree in engineering, regardless of his wishes for his life since, you know, he 'threw away' his opportunity to be something great. 

"We're here." His mom chimed from the front seat, her usual chipper self, seemingly unbothered by the fact that her husband and son were currently at each other's throats. 

Rhett stayed where he was, not exactly enthused to be back at this place. His parents drug him and his brother here every summer for close to eighteen years. Even the thought of being back, trapped in a small tent with his family for days on end made him sick. 

At least this time, he brought his own tent, but it wasn't much comfort given that it was still way too small for his large frame. 

A sharp knock on the window drew Rhett from his thoughts, "Let's go, son." His dad grunted from the other side, already unloading a few bags from the car. He unfolded himself and stood up from the back seat of the car, stretching the stiffness from his back. 

It looked exactly the same - and how was that even possible? It was supposed to be nature, wild and rough around the edges. But the smooth angles of the concrete tapered off into the dirt around their campsite told a different story. 

"Help your mother get the cooler and food out. I'm gonna get the tent set up." He ordered. Rhett set about doing as he was asked. He may have disappointed his dad but, the guy was going to be paying for his college, essentially making a way for him to be a successful adult, he better behave or he could find himself in a hell of a lot of student debt. 

After Rhett brought the big stuff into the picnic area from the car, his mother patted him on the back. "Rhett, honey. Go help your dad set up the tent. I got the rest of this." 

He gave her a look, one she had gotten many times over the years, one that said, "Do I have to?" without so much as a word spoken between them. 

"Go, please." She looked up at him with her big eyes that always managed to get exactly what she wanted. 

He sighed, walking over to where his dad was putting the poles through the roof of their yellow tent still in a lump on the ground. He shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet, unsure of how to approach the older man to help. 

Their relationship had always been strained, but it had never been this bad. He cleared his throat, hoping to get his attention without speaking - it worked. 

"Guess you should get your tent set up, huh? Not gonna do it by itself." He said, patience already thin even though Rhett hadn't said a word. 

Rhett chose not to say anything, didn't figure snarky remarks would help the situation. He busied himself with the set up of his tiny orange tent, the gravel crunching under his feet as he made countless passes around it trying to figure out which pole went into which slot. 

His dad was already finished, sitting on the bench beside the picnic table, making idle cuts to a small twig with his pocket knife while his mom cooked a simple supper for them all. 

He finally managed to erect the tent and even though it was somewhat crooked, he was pretty proud of himself finishing the job by himself. He quickly squelched the feeling, knowing that's exactly why his dad insisted he do so in the first place. He got his clothes and sleeping bag from the car to settle them into his tent. 

After an awkwardly silent dinner with his mom trying her best to get the two men talking and failing miserably, Rhett decided to take a walk around the campground. He'd enjoyed that as a kid, always being a people watcher. He liked imagining what kinds of things the people here were running from. What their jobs were, where they lived, he would even make up names sometimes. He actually was always curious if he was ever right about any of his guesses. 

"Hey," He heard a voice to his left call out and he looked up from the immensely interesting asphalt he'd been eyeing, seeing a brunet only a few inches shorter than him with shaggy hair. 

Rhett gave a small wave and turned back in the direction he was headed, not really looking for any company at this particular moment and only wanting to get out of the interaction as soon as possible. 

"How's the weather up there?" Rhett heard him giggle at his own joke, like Rhett hadn't heard that several thousand times in his short existence. 

Rhett let out a dry chuckle, lacking all humor and just kept walking. He didn't have the energy for pleasantries. He trained his eyes back to the ground, hoping to convey that he'd rather be left alone. It didn't work. 

The boy trotted up beside him bouncing happily, "So, what spot are you in? You just get here today?" He asked. 

"Uh, yeah." He answered, thinking maybe if he skipped over the first question the boy wouldn't notice.

"Well, I'm excited to see someone here my age, at least. You like fishing? My stepdad has a crap ton of bait and extra reels if you'd wanna go sometime. I know this great little spot to swim too if you're interested. We come..." 

Rhett interrupted his ramblings with an abrupt stop of his feet and a heavy sigh, "Dude, chill. I'm just wanting to take a walk - alone." The words coming out a little harsher than what he intended. 

"Oh," The boy said, obviously surprised at Rhett's reaction. His shoulders slumped as he whispered a weak apology, turning around like a kicked puppy and calling a, "See you around" over his shoulder. 

The rest of Rhett's walk was pretty uneventful.

He observed some of the rest of the campers - there weren't many. A few young couples, one with a big dog that barked when Rhett walked by. A couple of larger families with kids and an older couple in a beige camper with little tiki torches scattered around the campsite. 

Rhett had seen the type before during their summers here. They would park at the beginning of the summer and stay until the end. Kids and grandkids coming in to stay with them a few times throughout. 

He remembered an older couple when him and Cole were little. They had a deep freezer outside their camper full of icee pops. The young boys would ride their bikes around that trail just to stop by and get one from the generous little old lady there. He smiled at the memory while he walked back to his camp. 

\--- 

Rhett somehow managed to cram himself inside his tent for the night. It was still early but he claimed he wasn't feeling well and his mom let him go without much of a fight. 

He couldn't sleep. Just laid there looking up at the top of the tent that was entirely too close to his head listening to music. Thinking about the rest of his college career. The whispers that had already started when he'd been caught, the loss of his friends, and the loss of respect from his teachers. 

His mind drifted to all the people there at the campgrounds. Doing what he did as a kid and imagining their stories. He thought about the dark haired boy that was so eager to talk to him. He felt guilty for acting the way he did. The guy just wanted to be friends, and honestly he could use a friend if he was going to survive the next couple of weeks with his parents at this god forsaken place. 

Rhett resolved then to find him tomorrow and at least apologize to him, even if the guy didn't want to be friends anymore. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter this time. Come find me on Tumblr - mythicalrobyn118 <3 Let me know what you think of the story so far. Much love :)

Rhett spent most of the night tossing and turning so when he woke up to his dad shaking his tent, his already sour mood turned downright shitty. He could see the sun shining too brightly through the tent, telling him that it was past time to get up - probably why his dad insisted on waking him up so abruptly. 

"Don't you think it's time you got up? Half the day's gone, boy." He boomed and Rhett heard his heavy footsteps retreat when he stirred in his sleeping bag and groaned out an "Okay."

He grabbed his clothes, barely enough for his two week stay and unfolded himself from the tent to head to the bathroom. He was met with disapproving glances from his father, who was sitting at the concrete picnic table, getting his fishing gear ready. 

Rhett made the short trek to the bathroom, seeing everyone around him moving about their camps while he was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

The bathroom was a few degrees cooler than it was outside, the beige door creaked open, echoing off the high ceiling and concrete walls. Rhett was happy to find he didn't have to wait on a shower. This was a pretty small campground, but the bathroom only had two shower stalls and an equal number of toilet stalls. Sometimes it would get backed up with people ready to wash the sweat and river water off from the day. 

_One good thing about showering when it was 10am._ He thought. 

He stayed longer than he planned to. The warm water relaxing the muscles in his back that had stiffened during his listless night's sleep. 

He made his way back to camp, and his shoulders stood a little taller when he saw his mom and dad packing up their small cooler. It could only mean they would be gone most of the day. He figured they were going fishing, a favorite past time for them coming up here every year. His dad fished, his mom read and him and his brother would wander through the woods when they got bored, after catching all the fish they cared to and growing tired of playing in the sand on the bank of the river.

"Rhett, honey. We're going fishing, you wanna join?" His mom asked in her sweetest voice. 

Rhett shook his head, "I think I'll just hang around here." His mom gave him a sad smile and he quickly added, "I met a guy yesterday 'bout my age. May hang out with him some." 

She smiled at that, pleasantly surprised her son was making friends. "Oh, good. Well, have fun okay and stay outta trouble. We should be back by four." She said, as she gathered the last of her supplies from the picnic table and put it in her tote.

Where his dad worried about more practical things like how they were now saddled with paying for his son's school, his mom had different priorities. Friends and girls - those were her concerns. Surrounding himself with good influences and bringing a nice girl home that would make a good mom for her grandchildren.

Rhett was never much of a ladies man in high school, too tall and lanky to be smooth and he always felt awkward talking to the girls in his hometown. Moving to college and being the newest rising start on the Wildcats Basketball team earned him quiet a bit of attention from girls - he still felt awkward and lanky but at least his height was being put to good use. Still, Rhett would never dream of bringing one of them home to his mother. She would kill over at the company he entertained on campus. 

As far as friends go, he had never really been friends with anyone except guys on the basketball team. And, even then it was more out of convenience. When he found himself kicked off the team, the whispers started shortly after and when he passed them on campus fewer and fewer would wave or smile in his direction. He didn't really need friends... he'd made it this long without it. 

It was lonely sometimes though, not being able to be who he truly was with anyone but himself. Pretending to be the hot shot basketball player who was going to make it into the NBA was exhausting and he was honestly glad that part of his life was over. His friends and family only seemed to care about that aspect of Rhett, and that wasn't who he wanted to be for the rest of his life, regardless of the implications. 

Rhett watched them as they departed down the road, headed to their usual fishing spot that was shady and off the beaten path a ways. 

Rhett spent a little more time grooming himself, though not really sure why. He told himself he was stalling, avoiding the inevitably awkward conversation that would occur, and that's even if the guy gave Rhett the time of day. 

He walked around the road that traveled around to all the campsites. Keeping his eyes peeled for the guy he'd seen last night - no luck. He lingered a little longer at places he thought the boy may be staying only to receive weird looks from the occupants when they discovered Rhett staring into their campsite. 

He was about to head back to his own campsite when he happened upon the small playground beside the river. Right there on the swing set, Rhett spotted him, kicking the rocks at his feet while the swing swayed slowly back and forth. His dark hair blowing slightly in the wind. 

He looked bored, maybe that would give him an advantage, Rhett was better than no one, right?

He walked up behind him, the rustle of the pebbles gave away his position and the guy turned around, spotting Rhett. Rhett thought he saw the corners of his mouth turn up before he gained control and turned his attention back to the ground. 

Rhett wasn't sure what he expected - for him to smile big at him like he did last night? Fat chance after the way Rhett talked to him. Rhett had never been good at apologizing but took a gulp and started, "Uh, hey."

He heard a grunt that may have been words but Rhett wasn't sure. Rhett moved in front of him, but kept his distance, so as not to be pushy. 

"So, I - uh - I was a jerk last night. I'm sorry. I'm just going through some stuff but I shouldn't have taken that out on you. To tell you the truth I'm stuck here for a couple weeks, if you'd wanna..." The boy looked up from his position on the swing, and Rhett was met with icy blue eyes peeking out from under wispy raven hair and dark rimmed glasses. _How had I not noticed those eyes last night?_ He pondered, completely loosing his train of thought. 

"Wanna what?" The guy said, clearly amused at Rhett's sudden distraction. 

Rhett tried to recover with only minimum embarrassment, "If you'd wanna be friends? Like - hang out. I don't know how long you're here but.." He finished by shrugging. The guy's eyes returned to the ground and Rhett felt a little colder because of it as he nervously worried the front of his t-shirt. 

There was a pregnant pause, as the guy was surely debating on telling Rhett to go fuck himself or accept the plea of friendship. 

"Link," He said. 

"Do what?" Rhett asked, confused at the other boy's response. 

"My name. It's Link." His eyes returning back to meet Rhett's, this time smiling just as wide as he had last night upon first running up to Rhett on the trail. Rhett smiled in return. 

"Link," Rhett said, secretly liking the way it rolled off his tongue. "I'm Rhett." Taking a seat beside him in the small swing. 

"You got plans today, Stretch?" Link asked, his feet still pushing the pebbles around underneath him. 

Rhett shook his head, huffing a laugh out at the nickname, "Just try to survive this heat." He looked up to the sky, the sun beating down on the pair and Rhett wondered why they wouldn't put a shade tree by the playground. It was mid July in North Carolina. The heat making it nearly impossible for Rhett to enjoy anything that involved being outside. 

"Well, you got swim trunks? I know a great spot to swim." Rhett shook his head again. Link looked to him, mouth open. "You mean to tell me you came camping without..." He stopped himself short, shaking his head but Rhett could see a playful grin. 

"C'mon, I think I got a pair that may fit you." He rose from the swing, clapping Rhett on the shoulder as he walked away. Rhett followed quickly, trying to get the spot that Link touched to stop tingling. 

The walk down to his campsite, Link didn't stop talking. Making it very clear to Rhett exactly how much the guy needed a friend. Rhett contributed by answering the sparse questions he asked but Link mostly just seemed to be thinking out loud. It made Rhett smile and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he had dismissed him so easily the night before. 

"So, you came with your folks?" 

Rhett shrugged, "Yeah," But not offering much more of an explanation than that. "What about you?" He asked, realizing he should probably reciprocate with some questions. 

"Yeah. Well, my mom and her husband. We usually come down every summer. Have ever since... gosh, since forever it seems like." Link answered with a chuckle. Rhett wondered if in another life, they would have been friends, playing together on the playground and riding their bikes up the paved paths around the campground. 

"Here I am." He pointed to a small campsite to his right. It was well shaded but otherwise set up like Rhett's. Two medium sized tents - one orange and the other blue. Swim clothes and brightly colored beach towels were hanging on a line between two trees. A couple of lawn chairs placed around the small fire pit. Rhett could tell they had been there a few days - everything looked lived in, comfortable and homey. 

Rhett watched as Link jerked a pair of shorts from the line. Bright green with big hot pink watermelon wedges on them. He threw the shorts to Rhett, hitting him in the chest with the crumpled cloth. "Try those. They're a little big on me." 

Rhett just stood there, looking down at the shorts. They were definitely not something he would have picked out for himself - way too bright and flashy. Rhett spent most of his time not drawing attention to himself, his tall frame did enough of that. But - beggars and choosers and all that. 

"You can change in mine." Link gestured to the blue tent and Rhett went in without another word. Trying his best not to pry into this stranger's tent but couldn't help but notice how tidy it was. Certainly cleaner than any guy his age that Rhett knew. 

He changed quickly, the shorts being on the shorter side but fitting otherwise. He emerged from the tent, re-zipping the flap and pulling the shorts down where they rode even higher on his legs when he bent over. 

A two-toned whistle came from behind him and Rhett jerked up and turned quickly to see Link shirtless, with a pair of bright blue trunks on with little rocket pops printed all over them. "Looking good," He drawled out in a sugary southern accent much more prominent than his usual voice. 

He slung a towel over his shoulder and Rhett's stomach did some kind of weird flip that it had never done before. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks but he wasn't sure if it was the stupid grin on Link's face, the fact that he whistled at Rhett or that he just met this guy and they were both less dressed than when they introduced themselves. Probably a combination of all three. 

"Little short, huh?" He twisted his mouth to one side. "You think they will work or would you rather make a quick trip to Wal-Mart?" 

Rhett shrugged, he honestly didn't know. "Do - do they look okay?" 

"I think so. It's just swimming and it'll just be us. Where I go, no one usually comes by." Link extended another towel out to Rhett who took it and placed it on his shoulder, mimicking Link. Rhett, still a little self-conscious but deciding to just go with it for now. He could run and get some different ones later. Already hoping to do this again with Link. "Ready?" Link asked. 

Rhett's lips pulled up as he nodded. _Was it possible to look at Link and not smile? Gosh! The guy was a little ball of sunshine._

"You don't say much. Do you, Stretch?" 

Again Rhett only smiled at him, and he was met with a throaty laugh slipping from Link's mouth, which he immediately joined in on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, commenting and the kudos <3


	3. Chapter 3

They talked on the way to Link's private swimming hole. Rhett learned that Link would be starting his sophomore year at NC State this year too. Rhett was more excited about that than he felt he should be, having just met the guy.

Link had originally gone to Georgia Tech, to study engineering (to Rhett's surprise) but has since had to move back home because of his stepdad's illness, to help his mom out. He got the transfer paperwork done at the beginning of the summer. He seemed saddened by it so Rhett didn't push the subject further. 

Rhett couldn't imagine the pressure Link was under, dealing with all the new things college brought and now having to transfer - starting at a whole new school and having to help his mom. And Rhett thought his situation was bad because his dad was forcing him into something he didn't really want to do. 

"What are you majoring in?" Link asked, as they walked down a narrow path toward the river littered with brown pine needles all over the ground. The scent in the air was different from that of the campground, more natural and it was oddly familiar to Rhett. 

"Uh, actually engineering too." Rhett answered. 

"No way! Maybe we'll have some classes together. At least I'll see one familiar face." Link said, slowing his pace a little to walk side by side with Rhett. 

"Yeah, that'd be awesome." Rhett said, trying not to sound too eager. _You just met the guy, chill._ He scolded himself and trained his eyes to the ground having already tripped himself up over various roots and stones scattered on the path.

Link pointed to a narrow path, more overgrown than the one they were currently walking down. "It's down this trail a piece." 

_Thank God._ Rhett thought. He could definitely tell that he hadn't been playing basketball, his endurance was shit now compared to what it used to be when he did laps around his teammates up and down the court. The heat not making it any better, Rhett couldn't wait for the coolness of the river to wash the sweat from his skin. 

They walked in silence until reaching a steep incline that led down to a sandy bank. The path was overgrown with vegetation rooting up from nearby trees, Rhett instinctively looked out for poison oak leaves, repeating the rhyme in his head to remind himself what to look for. _'Leaves of three, let it be.'_

Rhett could only see the bank of the river, most of his vision covered by the thicket of trees hanging low over head. He watched as Link carefully maneuvered down the incline, stepping on all the right roots and packed dirt patches to make it safely at the bottom. Rhett was too busy watching Link's body gracefully pass the land beneath his feet to watch where he was actually stepping in order to mimic him. 

When Link jumped from the bottom step, he looked up to Rhett, a 'what are you waiting for' look on his face. Rhett began the descent, trying not to think too much about where his feet were landing. He knew if he did, he would second guess every step. 

He not-so-graciously made it to the bottom of the hill, getting a little over eager in his steps and almost ran smack into Link as he watched from the bottom.

Rhett saw the appeal of this particular swimming hole, once he got his bearings and stood steady on his feet. His eyes were met with bright green foliage scattered around the banks of the river. Fine sand sprinkled with of white colored pebbles washed into and out of the river as it lapped at the boy's feet. 

Rocks obstructed the water's path down stream, causing smooth ripples and calming noises as it pushed its way over them. A rock taller than Rhett's height painted with dark green moss stood to the right of Rhett. An old rope hung over it, the ends frayed and worn into a grey-green color from years of scrapping against the surface of the water and stone underneath it. 

"Whatcha think?" Link asked, casually sitting his towel over a smaller rock a few steps from the edge of the river. 

"Wow! This is really... cool." 

"Yeah, I think so. I found this place a few years ago. I was just wandering around and stumbled onto it." He ran his slender fingers through the long locks of hair, brushing them from his face. He passed Rhett still standing at the bottom of the incline and started climbing up the rock.

He grabbed hold of the rope, twisting it as he leaned into, resting his weight against it. "You - uh, wanna go first?" He nodded to the rope, a smirk playing on his face. 

"I don't think so, man. I'll just stick to swimming for now" Rhett gave him a nervous chuckle. He went over to the same small rock, placing the towel beside Link's and toeing his own shoes off beside where Link discarded his. He hesitated pulling the shirt from his body, his confidence wavering. He was already feeling pretty exposed to a perfect stranger with the shorts he borrowed, stripping his shirt was the last layer of protection. 

He played the part of the all star basketball player well, mostly because he knew he was a damn good player, there was no question about that. Even though he resented most of it now, he missed the confidence he could count on while in character. This version of Rhett wasn't fully himself in his own skin just yet. 

He heard a 'whoo' sound off behind him and looked up in enough time to see Link's body submerge into the river in a splash of white. Rhett looked on with a smile as the splashes of water settled then quickly started again as his dark hair thrusted up from the surface again. Shaking his head wildly, like a dog just stepping out of a bath. Another 'whoo' shouted out as the dark haired boy wiped his face with his hands. 

Rhett took the moment of distraction to slip out of his shirt and wade into the shallow water at the bank. The water was cool, surprisingly so for the time of year it was. The bank disappeared from his feet as it dropped off into deeper water, his breath hiccuping as it lapped onto the sensitive skin of his stomach and back as he fully immersed himself in the river. 

They swam together, occasionally filling the silence with small talk about their life on campus and questions about their plans for the coming school year. Rhett found himself smiling more and more the farther the sun traveled in the sky. The other boy's company being a nice break from the constant state of distaste he found himself in lately. Link tried more than once to persuade Rhett to swing into the river but was met with apprehension each time. 

"I got a thing with heights." Rhett explained, once a little more comfortable. Link made his way out, but instead of going for the rock again, he went for his towel. Drying his hair with a quick tousle. 

The irony was not lost on Rhett - a tall guy scared of heights. Link must have caught on too as he chuckled while draping the towel around his neck. He smiled wide, "I'm gonna leave that one alone." He took a seat beside Rhett's towel, pulling his legs under him, watching Rhett as he made his way to the bank of the river, following Link's lead. 

"I know, believe me. Got plenty of teasing from the guys on my team about that one." His face fell briefly - anytime he remembered his time on the team, it always left him dejected. Recalling bad memories and the threat of the new ones that could come with seeing them all again when he starts back. 

"What do you play? Wait, lemme guess." Rhett rolled his eyes playfully, knowing what was coming. "Mmmm. Bowling?" Link asked, causing Rhett to burst into a fit of laughter. Link laughed too, standing as Rhett grabbed his towel beside him and wrapped it around his waist. 

"That's the first time I heard that one." Rhett admitted. "But, no. Basketball. Least I used to." 

"Ha. Yeah that makes more sense." Link said, "You don't play anymore?" 

Rhett shook his head, "Nah. That was more my dad's plan than mine." And as much as he tried, he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. 

Link picked up on the fact that Rhett didn't really wanna talk about it and only nodded, "Ready to head back?" He stood, slipping his shoes on. When Rhett nodded, Link began the assent up the incline, Rhett not waiting for him to climb all the way to the top before he started climbing. As soon as he was up high enough, Rhett started in behind him. 

"By the way, thanks for letting me tag along today. I had fun." Rhett said, looking down, making sure he stepped on the appropriate roots to get himself up safely. He heard a pained gasp come from above him and he looked up. Link was frozen in place, no longer taking strides up the side of the hill. "Link? You..."

He was interrupted by Link's labored breathing, "Oh... Rhett, I'm gon -" he swayed uneasily, hands reaching out as his body went limp then collided with Rhett's. 

"Oh, shit." Rhett started falling too. He quickly tried his best to catch Link before he hit something and made whatever happened worse. His big hands cradled his back as they both fell, bracing himself for the inevitable impact of the ground. 

They landed in a heap on the sand, knocking the wind from Rhett's lungs and Rhett groaning at the sharp pain in his back from the impact of the ground. 

Link was on top of him, his body lifeless it seemed. Rhett regained his breath and sat up, pulling himself from under Link mostly, but still letting his head rest on Rhett's lap. He looked at Link's disheveled and wet hair, sticking across his forehead, his skin was pale where it was once flushed pink from the cool river water and the energy expended during their swim. He looked down Link's body, trying to find what caused the fall. 

He saw a scratch with fresh blood smeared down his arm. Maybe he cut himself, trying to climb up? It wasn't bad enough for this though, something else had to happen. Did he faint? 

"Fuck! What do I do?" He said out loud, hoping for an answer from someone. 

He gently tapped Link's cheek with his open hand, hoping to stir him into consciousness. "Link..." The weight of his body still on top of Rhett's legs and his back throbbed slightly. "Link, come on, dude. I need you to wake up." He kept tapping his face until finally the boy beneath him started to stir. 

His eyes flitting open and Rhett couldn't hide the sigh of relief that escaped his lips. He gently coaxed him awake, repeating his name until his eyes flew wide open with surprise. 

"Wh - what happened? Shit!" He tried to sit up quick but wavered and Rhett pulled him back down to his lap. 

"Woah, take it easy. I think you fainted." Rhett said, voice as even as he could get it. 

Link lifted his arm to rub his face and brush the hair from his vision. "Ow! Shit, my shoulder." He winced, lowering it back down where it sat before, taking a deep breath. He finally looked up to Rhett and stayed quiet for a moment, blue eyes locked on green ones. Rhett was overcome by that familiar feeling again that he couldn't quite put his finger on. 

He still sat awkwardly with his long legs stretched out in front of him and Link on top of them. Link's eyes got wide again, "Oh gosh." He said, and Rhett noticed the flush of color that traveled to his cheeks, apparently just realizing that he was still in Rhett's lap. "Did I fall on top of you?" 

He stood, more steady this time and Rhett didn't stop him as he turned to help Rhett up. He took his hand, thankful to finally be able to move and not being afraid to injure Link further. "I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?" Link asked, almost panicky. 

Rhett shook his head. "No, no. I'm fine. I wasn't that far off the ground." Rhett remembered Link's arm and pointed to it without thinking, causing Link to look back down. "Shit, don't..." Rhett quickly caught Link's chin, tilting it up so he wouldn't see the blood again and have a repeat of what just happened.

Link gasped, clearly surprised at Rhett handling him, "What are you..."

"Here. You faint at the sight of blood?" He asked, but already knowing the answer. He got his shirt from the ground that had fallen off during their fall and quickly wrapped it around Link's arm. "Hold that there. I can bandage you up when we get back to the camp." 

Link stood, his mouth opening and closing before shaking his head and stuttering out a, "Thanks, Rhett. Gosh, how embarrassing..." He let out a pained chuckle.

Rhett could only laugh as they tried climbing the hill once again, more successfully this time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you so much for reading! I appreciate all the love <3 
> 
> Hit me up on Tumblr - mythicalrobyn118


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today! Going forward, I'm going to make them shorter than the first couple. Even though it will probably result in more chapters. It isn't as overwhelming for me. 
> 
> I'm super excited about this story and I hope y'all enjoy :)

"There, that should do it." Rhett sat back from the picnic bench that he straddled with his long legs. Link's knees touching his own as he bandaged up the cut on his forearm. 

"Thanks, man. I can't believe I freakin' fainted on top of you." Link laughed as he inspected his arm and Rhett noticed the flush of pink to his cheeks, still there bright as ever. 

Rhett chuckled to himself, rubbing his palms down his shorts that were still wet from their trip to the river. "It's okay. Promise." He backed away from Link, knowing it was about time for his parents to be back at camp. He was starving, not even realizing that they had skipped lunch while swimming. "I better head back, my parent's will be back soon, if they ain't already."

"Oh - yeah. Okay." Link said, jumping up from his spot on the bench. "I had fun today. Maybe we could do it again... sometime?" 

Rhett was quick to answer, "Yeah, sounds good."

They said their good-byes and the two boys parted ways, Rhett making the walk back to his camp. He saw his campsite from a distance and could see his mom mulling about, the only sign of his dad was the small puffs of smoke coming from the grill at the corner of the campground. The smell made his stomach growl even louder. It had been a while since Rhett McLaughlin skipped a meal. 

"Hey, Ma." Rhett said in greeting as he reached for the cooler, plunging his hand into the ice water and pulling out a Mello Yello. 

"Hey, hon... What in God's name are you wearing?" She said, a grin spreading across her face as she tried to control her laughter. 

Rhett looked down to see the bright swim trunks Link had let him borrow. He'd forgotten all about them, honestly between Link fainting and Rhett having to patch him up. He made a mental note to bring them back to him tomorrow. "Uh, Link let me borrow a pair of trunks to go swimming." He chuckled, trying his best to hide his embarrassment. "What's for dinner?" 

"Your father's grilling us some hamburgers now. Go on and get changed, should be done in a bit." She continued her work getting the table ready to eat while Rhett went to his tent to somehow manage changing in the small space. 

After some awkward dinner conversation about the new boy he'd made friends with and the usual grilling from his parents, (What's his name? Who's he here with? DOes he go to school?) Rhett asked their permission to go to the nearest Wal-Mart to pick up some more appropriately fitting swim clothes. 

He drove down the curvy back roads, a classic country station blaring into the car as he belted out the words, his arm propped on the open window. Rhett forgotten how much he loved driving through his own small town. Finding roads only to see where it took him, loosing himself in the bends of the road and the sound of the wind blowing passed the car. 

He found the local Wal-Mart's selection of men's swimwear with ease, with the town being so close to a river, Rhett figured at least half of their revenue came from the tourist that vacationed nearby. 

He instinctively picked up a plain navy pair, finding his size and heading toward the check out, humming to himself as he passed the other options. Another pair caught his eye, they were navy blue too, but the fabric was scattered with tiny pink flamingos. 

They made Rhett smile. _Link would like those_ , he thought. He'd never buy them for himself - but who said he couldn't? He'd already worn some that didn't fit him and he felt good in them after spending all day with Link. 

He hung the plain jane ones back on the rack, grabbing his new flamingo trunks and walked to the front once again. 

* * *

_Rhett was back at the camp, standing beside the massive oak that shaded at least three of the campsites nearby. Everything had a layer of dust on it, like the way the grass looked along the road of his grandparent's mile long dirt driveway._

_He took a step, searching for - something, someone, anyone that could make the air feel less heavy around him. Sharp! He stumbled back toward the tree, the pain radiating up from his foot._

_He could hear the cicadas buzzing all around him - thundering louder with every passing second. He tried to cover his ears for a bit of relief from the unsettling noise but they wouldn't move not matter how much he willed them to._

_His felt trickles of water travel down his face, damp with sweat - or tears. His skin was alive with goosebumps, making the tiny hairs stand on end, announcing his fear to the outside world._

_He tried to speak but the words formed a lump in his throat, the already deafening noise devouring even his thoughts._

He sat upright, his body covered in a sheen of sweat. It took him a moment to realize he was back at camp - real camp and not the nightmare of a place he'd just envisioned. 

Chest heaving, cheeks red, head spinning. 

He shook his head, trying his best to remember the dream that had woken him up from such a deep sleep. He only recalled bits and pieces, though. Noises, darkness... loneliness. It was still pitch black outside, he'd woken up in the middle of the night. Something that was very strange for Rhett, who usually slept like a rock 

He laid back down on his sleeping bag, closing his eyes. The uneasiness of the dream not dissipating like Rhett had hoped it would. 

After a few minutes of tossing and turning he sat back up, deciding to go to the bathroom. Wash his face, clear his mind and maybe he could get some more sleep before the sun decided to rise. 

He walked through the brush, and avoided getting near anyone else's camp, not wanting to scare someone awake this late at night. He was still lost in thought about that strange dream when he made it to the bathroom. The warm light flooded out of the windows near the roof and the hum of the fan inside drowning out the few crickets that were awake. 

Once he opened the door, his eyes squinted at the unwelcome intrusion of bright florescent lighting. But his eyes adjusted quickly, even if they did burn slightly. He turned the faucet on, splashing the lukewarm water onto his face and running his fingers through his short dirty blonde hair. 

The act alone made him feel better, feel a little more human, he used the bathroom and walked back out the door, running right into Link.

"Oh gosh, sor - oh, hey Rhett." Link smiled, his dark hair a tangled mess on top of his head and his glasses slightly askew - his tense shoulders relaxed at the sight of a familiar face.

"Hey! You okay?" Rhett asked, a hint of humor in his low voice and he let his eyes adjust to the absence of the bright light. 

"D'you come all the way out here without a flashlight?" Link asked, ignoring Rhett's question and not waiting for a reply. "I'm a nervous wreck out here _with_ one." 

Rhett chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, he felt a million times better just seeing Link out here in the dark outside the bathroom. He couldn't figure out why this guy was so calming to him. 

"Anyway, sorry to cut it short but I gotta piss like a race horse." Link said stepping around Rhett and walking backward, "I'll see ya' around. Yeah?" 

Rhett nodded in reply. He thought he made that clear when they said their last good-byes, maybe he wasn't the only one who had trouble making friends. 

He started to walk away, "Oh, hey." He turned around before Link was too far gone. "I got me some swim trunks for when we go next time." 

Link gave him a wink and one of those crooked smiles he'd shot at Rhett more than a few times throughout the day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Come find me on Tumblr mythicalrobyn118 :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans for another day at the campground have a wrench thrown in the mix, much to Rhett's disappointment.

Rhett and Link had spent everyday together since meeting just a couple of days ago. Link took Rhett to a few of his favorite spots along the river and Rhett had shared his parent's fishing spot (conveniently on a day that his parents were otherwise occupied). They didn't fish, only explored the banks like Rhett and his brother. Cole used to do. 

Rhett had never felt such a strong connection with someone, it was like they already knew each other. Their conversations seemed to flow so easily, and not just on Rhett's end. Link seemed to always know what Rhett was thinking - without so much as a word from Rhett. 

He woke up that morning in a better mood than he had in a while, despite the early morning heat making the sleeping bag stick to his already sweaty skin. He'd made plans to meet up with Link this morning so they could take a few hiking trails together. 

He got ready quickly, slipping into a pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt. When he almost fell getting out of the tent, he caught the attention of his dad sitting at the picnic table, drinking his morning coffee. 

Rhett received a mumbled 'good morning' in his direction, his mother huddled over the camp stove, the smell of freshly fried bacon filling the morning air. 

"Mornin' Rhett. You already ready?" She said with a wide smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling under the make-up she'd already managed to put on before either men even got out of bed. "I'm so excited about today. Both my boys out fishing together. It's gonna be so fun." She said excitedly. 

Rhett froze. How could he have forgotten? Today was the day that his dad was borrowing a friend's boat to take them all out on what was sure to be a miserable day in the hot summer sun of North Carolina. 

_Damn it!_

"Oh, was - I was actually..." Rhett started but quickly gave up. Judging by the glare that his mom shot him and the grunt from his dad's end of the table, no excuse was going to get him out of this day. He shook his head in resignation, knowing it wasn't worth fighting. 

Rhett scarfed his breakfast down, hoping to have enough time to run and tell Link that he couldn't go on their planned hiking trip. He knew they would have plenty of time to do the same stuff, probably more than once during their time here. But that didn't stop the disappointment he felt. 

It would probably be late when they got back, knowing his parent's time ticked by much faster than his own, especially during something like fishing. Still, maybe they could plan on something this evening.

He ran over to Link's camp as fast as he could, having already received a tongue lashing from his father about being late on the water. He was met with a Link that damn near met his own excitement as he got out of his tent this morning. Rhett's heart soared, knowing Link was so excited to spend the day with him. It quickly crashed. 

"Hey, Bo." He drawled, running up to Rhett in a sort of half handshake - half hug. "I got us some snacks and stuff for the hike." He said, nodding to the bag over his shoulder. 

"Yeah, I - shit, man. I gotta go do this thing with my parents today. I forgot all about it and..." He trailed off, watching the bright smile on Link's face fade as quick as his own had. 

"Oh - yeah, I get it." Link said, half-heartedly, looking toward the ground. 

"I'm sorry. Maybe we could do something when I get back?" Rhett offered, clinging to the hope they could spend some of the day together, it would give him something to look forward to on the boat at least. 

"I'm actually going with my mom this evening. Gotta pick up some things from town to get us through the rest of the trip." Link sighed, "Maybe tomorrow, yeah?" 

Rhett nodded, "Yeah.... Yeah. Tomorrow." A promise to himself as much as Link. "I better get back..." 

They parted ways. Rhett couldn't speak for Link but his chest was heavy as he walked back to his own camp.

\---- 

He was tired when he got back to camp, the constant beating of the sun on his back caused his head to throb and effectively drained him of most of his energy. The inevitable conversations about doing better in school and making the McLaughlins proud was equally as draining. Even though his father made it very clear that he was a disappointment already. 

Rhett kept an eye on Link's campsite, walking around the narrow roadway more than a few times. But the sun was setting low in the sky when he still didn't see the car on his last lap around and he decided to call it a night. 

His sleeping bag felt amazing, his tired body grateful for the relief from the long day. He laid still, listening to the crickets outside, most of the campsites retiring for the night too. He laid for what felt like hours, his restless mind not being able to quieten down for the first time since coming out here. 

He'd like to blame it on the mountain air, or even the relief of being away from school. But he knew none of that was true. As much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, it was Link. Something about him just... calmed Rhett. It was a peace he could get used to and he couldn't be happier that he would get to spend more time with him on campus this fall. 

His eyelids finally grew heavy and his breathing slowed after some daydreams about all the things he wanted to introduce Link to at NC State. Then a rustling outside jolted him awake. He listened intently, certain it must have just been a squirrel or something rummaging around for a few crumbs leftover from supper. 

The sound persisted and Rhett listened closer- carefully timed footsteps along the side of his tent. He leaned over, it not being much of a stretch, and pulled the zipper open to his tent. 

It was quiet now, he looked in both directions - nothing. 

"Hello?" Rhett whispered into the darkness, oddly unsettled by the sudden noise. 

"Hey," Link popped his head out from the side of Rhett's tent, nearly causing Rhett to jump out of his skin. 

"Shit, Link. You scared the daylights outta me." Rhett whisper-yelled so as not to disturb his parents who were probably already sound asleep. Link inched forward, and Rhett noticed how bright his eyes were even in the darkness. 

"Sorry," He let a hushed laugh escape as he came to a stop in front of Rhett, bending over to see him better and steadying himself on Rhett's shoulder. Rhett tried not to blush at the gesture. "Can I come in? I have gifts." He wagged his eyebrows as he lifted his arm, the tale-tell clink of glass bottles giving Rhett a hint as to what it was he had in his hand. 

Rhett couldn't help the tug of his lips upward as he moved over to make room for Link in his too small tent. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I know it's a little slow getting started ;) hang in there 
> 
> mythicalrobyn118 on Tumblr - let's be friends, I'm lonely.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett confesses part of the reason he's ended up camping with his parents and we learn a little bit more about Link.

After some moving around to accommodate two rather large boys inside the tent, they settled into a seated position, each of their legs crossed. Their knees touched and their backs hunched over so their head didn't brush the top of the tent. Link succeeded a little more than Rhett's in that department. 

Rhett rummaged through his bag for the small battery powered lantern that his mom gave him on the first night while Link got out two bottles from the six pack, opening each one. 

"Where did you get these?" Rhett asked, taking the bottle from Link, his fingers brushing against Link's thumb. 

"I may have snuck 'em into the grocery cart while Momma wasn't looking." He said, coyly. 

Rhett shook his head, "Geez, Link." He laughed at the surprising audacity. 

Link shrugged, "I hated we couldn't spend any time together today, so I wanted to... I don't know, do something." 

"Me too." Rhett admitted. His stomach doing that thing that made him feel elated and apprehensive all at the same time. "I would've let you in without the beer though." 

"Mmmm, noted." Link took a small sip of his beer, crinkling his nose up at the taste. Neither of them were old enough to drink but that never stopped Rhett on campus. 

Rhett followed suit, tolerating it a little better than Link had. It was good, if not a little cheap. But it felt warm going down his throat and into his stomach, spreading the sense of calmness that Link brought with him. 

"So you wanna do the trails tomorrow?" Rhett asked, seeking a break from the oddly comfortable silence that was filling his tent. 

Link took another drink and nodded, "'Course, it was so _boring_ without you around today. How did your thing with the parents go?" 

Rhett shrugged, "It sucked, so... as expected, I guess." Rhett was going to leave it at that but he thought it might be time to enlighten Link on what happened at school, at least some of it. 

He would find out when they started school in the fall anyway. Rhett sat the beer down to the side of his sleeping bag after a few more gulps and stretched out on his back, his arms at his side. 

Link stayed in his cross legged position but looked to Rhett intently, as if knowing he was about to spill his guts.

"I got into some trouble at school. I had a full ride on a basketball scholarship. And, uh messed around... ended up losing it." Rhett let out a heavy sigh, training his eyes on the ceiling of the tent instead of on Link, avoiding those blue eyes piercing right through him. "And no matter how ungrateful or selfish it sounds - it was fine with me. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life playing basketball. But my dad had different plans." It wasn't the entire truth, but it was a start. 

Rhett could see Link from the corner of his eye nod his head and look down at his bottle. He picked the label for a beat then placed it beside Rhett's on the floor. 

Link maneuvered himself around, and laid flat of his back beside Rhett. His shoulder pressed against Rhett's and he felt the heat radiating off of the other boy. It wasn't the humid heat of the North Carolina summer. Instead it was the kind of heat that warmed his body when he didn't realize it was cold... a comforting heat. 

"Sorry, man. Is - is that why they're making you study engineering?" 

"Yeah, said if I was gonna give up a 'sure thing' like basketball, I needed a good job so I wouldn't be throwing my _entire_ life away." 

Link was quiet and so was Rhett for a bit. Just listening to the noises outside and each other's measured breaths. 

Link cleared his throat, "I get it. I, uh, it wasn't really my choice to come back to North Carolina. My mom kind of dragged me." 

"Really?" Rhett asked, surprised looking over at Link, their faces closer than usual and he could see his Adam's apple move as he swallowed. "It wasn't because of your step-dad?" 

Link shrugged, "That was part of it, I guess. But, a much bigger part was... me being interested in the arts program down there. It wasn't something they thought of as a good future for me." 

Rhett looked back up to the ceiling, they were more similar than he knew. "It was a few other things too, but..." He trailed off, waving his hand, Rhett taking the hint to leave it at that. 

Rhett felt his head buzzing from the drink or being so close to Link, he wasn't sure which. He sat up momentarily and took a long drag from the bottle. When he laid back down, his arm fell on top of Link's. 

Neither one moved. 

Rhett had never been much of a touchy-feely guy. He'd grown up with occasional hugs and pats on the back but prolonged, intentional contact was something... new for him. Even with the few girls he dated at school, he never initiated cuddles or hand holding, nothing remotely close to this. 

Link moved his fingers just slightly, enough for Rhett to feel them underneath his own. 

Maybe Link meant that as a sign, like 'get off me, man.' But when Rhett didn't move, neither did Link. Actually, if anything he seemed to move slightly closer. Or maybe Rhett's mind was just playing tricks on him. The beer fogging his ability to think clearly. 

He decided to test the waters a little more, again questioning whether it was his own curiosity or the beer. He was becoming addicted to the way Link was making him feel, and he was desperate to egg it on. 

He moved his fingers so they nestled between the groove of Link's thumb and finger. He could tell Link's breathing wavered, but his thumb grazed lightly over Rhett's pinky. The touch was intimate, and Rhett felt a lump form in his throat, causing him to lose his nerve. 

He moved his hand away and draped it across his stomach. The weight grounded him and he closed his eyes, prepared to forget about what just happened and move on. Not really ready to unpack everything that simple touch made him feel. 

Link jerked up into a sitting position. Rhett opened his eyes to a panicked looking Link. He coughed and began to stutter, "I - uh, I'm gonna - uh, head back to my camp." He said as he rushed to unzip the zipper. It stuck as soon as he pulled too hard, it being a finicky thing after the years of use. "Ah, shit." He cursed. 

"You okay?" Rhett asked. 

"Yeah, yeah. Just - I'm not feeling so good. Probably the beer, not setting right, you know?" He had zipped it back up and was trying again, slower this time. "Don't usually drink much, honestly." 

"Oh - okay. You sure? I can walk you back if you want." Rhett offered, remembering that the dark made Link uneasy and he didn't remember seeing a flashlight. 

"No." He said quickly, finally getting the tent open enough to slip out. "I mean, I'll be fine." 

Link stood up outside the tent, Rhett leaning over and sticking his head out of the flap. "Okay, just... Are you sure you're okay, man?" 

"I'll see you tomorrow." Link whispered as he turned and walked down the road toward his own campsite. 

Rhett watched him until he was out of sight. Then zipped the tent back up and laid back down on his sleeping bag. Rhett was kicking himself internally, knowing the curious gesture was probably what sent Link running from his tent this late at night.

He couldn't deny how nice it felt, such a simple thing but it carried so much weight.

He rolled over on his side still faintly able to smell Link's scent; kind of woodsy mixed with a bit of peppermint and something else that must be distinctly Link. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr mythicalrobyn118 
> 
> Thanks for reading, you lovely beasts! BYMB <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link meets Rhett's parents and they go hiking on a few trails together.

Sleep didn't come easy for Rhett that night. And when it finally decided to show up, he was plagued by the strange dreams again. Exactly as last time. Dark and lonely and... unsettling. 

He remembered his mom being in this one - but the feeling of loneliness was still there, eating it's way inside of him and twisting in his gut. He watched himself, huddled up to her chest, weeping. She tried her best to comfort him, but nothing worked, he still felt... empty. 

He got up early, the sun still sitting behind the mountains, casting a pink hue across the sky over the fog rising up from the river. It was beautiful, peaceful. 

He stood on the massive dock overlooking the river where a lot of people fished or kids would throw bread into the water and wait for the fish to surface and fight over it. From there, he watched the wildlife wake up. Squirrels scurrying around the roots of the massive trees surrounding the river, a few ducks resting on the water. 

Rhett was excited for the day ahead, though a little nervous since Link left so abruptly the night before. Maybe it really was the beer that didn't sit right with him. He made a mental note to get rid of the remaining beer that was left in his tent. If his mom or dad found that - well, honestly things couldn't get much worse. They would probably expect it at this point. 

On the way back to camp, Rhett passed Link's and didn't see anyone. _It was late by the time he got back, he's probably still sleeping,_ Rhett thought. 

He moped down the road, kicking at the rocks and trying not to think about if he'd messed up the first friendship he'd ever _really_ cared about. He could hear his parent's voices down the road, his mom's boisterous laugh sounding off the thicket of pine needles on the ground. 

As he got closer, he realized there was another voice - Link's. 

Rhett sped up his strides and came upon his camp to see Link sitting at the picnic table with his parents, smooth talking and cutting up. His eyes met Rhett's and lit up, his smile much brighter than the last time Rhett had seen it. 

"Oh, Rhett, honey. There you are. Link here was filling us in on y'all's adventures." Link winked over at him. "I'm making y'all a few sandwiches to take with ya today."

"Uh - Thanks, Momma." 

She continued to talk as Rhett and Link shared a little too much eye contact. Rhett silently wondering what exactly was going on. "Link was telling me that he'd be going to NC State this year. And why didn't you tell us he was studying to be an engineer too?" 

"It just didn't..." 

"Well, I think it's great. Could use a good influence this year. Link, here, seems like he has his head on right." Rhett's dad chimed in then, sounding as disappointed as ever. 

"Dad, I..." 

"Jim," His mother scolded the grey haired man, all without saying another word. "Y'all got a backpack for the trails today?" Turning her attention back to the two boys. 

"Yes, ma'am. We'll swing by my camp to get it before heading out." Link said, as she handed him the two paper bags. "Thank you, Mrs. McLaughlin." 

"Oh, you can call me Diane, honey." She patted him on the back, giving Link the sweetest smile before shewing them on down the road, and with as much enthusiasm as she always had told them to have fun. 

"I thought you'd still be asleep." Rhett said, looking to Link slightly puzzled by the impromptu visit. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Rhett just didn't want them telling Link exactly what he'd done to get in trouble at school. He wasn't really ready to share that information just yet. 

Link shrugged, "Nah! I was ready to get going on the trails." Rhett thought he looked tired, though. His eyes had the slightest hint of dark circles underneath them. The look on Rhett's face must have translated to confusion, because Link continued. "I mean if you still want to?" 

"Yeah, yeah I do. Just - last night... Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm sorry 'bout that." He looked to the ground. "I didn't - " He paused and before he could continue, Rhett interrupted. Already knowing Link's body language for 'I don't really want to talk about it.' 

"It's okay. Let's get going 'fore it gets too hot." He said, grabbing the bags from Link's hand and running ahead of him, Link following quickly behind. 

* * *

The two friends took a few of the shorter trails and before they knew it the sun was high in the sky and they were both sweating enough to fill at least a few buckets. Link stopped short in the middle of the trail, "You hear that?" He turned around to Rhett. 

Rhett listened intently, he heard what sounded like rushing water, not surprising given where they were. "Yeah," Rhett said skeptically. 

"Sounds like a waterfall. I haven't been up this trail in years but I think there was a waterfall off the path a ways." He said excitedly, pushing his way through some of the overgrown brush on the side of them. 

Rhett followed, "Wait, dude. Should we get off the path? What if we can't find our way back?" Rhett pondered aloud. 

Link laughed, "Don't worry so much, man. It ain't too far." 

Rhett trusted Link, he seemed to know his way around this place so he followed in behind him. And before long they stumbled upon the waterfall. It was gorgeous. 

They stood at the bottom, looking up the gradual incline. It wasn't steep but traveled across the wide expansive of that part of the river, the water trailing over the rocks underneath it gently as it made its way to the bottom. Rhett could smell the familiar scent of wet leaves and roots as they neared the fall. 

"I knew it was out here somewhere." Link said, reaching out and playfully knocking Rhett on the shoulder. "Pretty, right?" 

Rhett agreed. It was beautiful. So beautiful he felt the overwhelming urge to jump into the cool water and let it wash the grim from his body. They hadn't prepared to go swimming, both dressed in shorts and t-shirts.

Without much thought of the repercussions, Rhett peeled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the bank next to where Link deposited his backpack. 

"Come on, Link." Rhett encouraged. Link turned around, wide eyes. 

"Wh - What're you doing?" He asked.

"It's hot as hell out here. Let's cool off." Rhett said, kicking off his shoes and socks and unbuttoning his shorts, dropping them to the ground. 

"We - we ain't got any trunks, man." 

"So," Rhett chuckled, like the impossibly short shorts he'd adorned that first day didn't exist. He waded on into the river, immediately refreshed by the water at his feet. He didn't give his body time to adjust to the temperature of the water, he ran into the water until he was up to his shoulders, feet barely touching the sandy bottom. 

He was surprising himself at his sudden lack of worry. He didn't care that he'd have to deal with the damp underwear on the way back to camp but it was hot and he was enjoying himself. 

He ducked his head under the water and quickly came back up. He looked around for Link, assuming he'd be right behind him. Rhett spotted him still standing beside the backpack, watching Rhett in the water. 

"What're you waiting for?" Rhett hollered over to him, humor peeking through his voice. He could have sworn he saw a slight blush on his cheeks, but then again he could just be sun-kissed from being outside all morning. 

He shook his head, running his fingers through his dark hair before pulling his shirt over his head. Rhett let out a loud 'whoop' as Link stripped down to his bright blue boxer briefs and waded into water. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Thanks to everyone who had commented and left kudos! I love hearing from you <3
> 
> mythicalrobyn118 on Tumblr - let's be friends :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys spend some time in the water and Rhett confesses the truth about school to Link.

Link didn't get in as fast as Rhett had, but eventually made it out to the same depth. Rhett kept his eyes on him the whole time, he watched as his skin flinched when his breath hitched as the water hit his stomach, then his chest, until he was floating in front of Rhett. 

He splashed some water up onto his face then rubbed his fingers through his hair, dampening the strands. Rhett watched as the water fell down his face, a drop hanging on for dear life to his long lashes. He seemed to be enjoying the break from the humid heat of their hike as much as Rhett was, "What?" Link asked, stirring Rhett from his catatonic state as he realized he was just staring stupidly at Link. 

He cleared his throat, "Nothing," He said, voice giving away his embarrassment. 

Rhett laid his head back into the water, floating on his back, desperate to escape the intense stare of Link was currently giving him. The confidence he'd somehow mustered up when jumping into the water at first was completely gone now. 

He floated for a bit, closing his eyes and hearing the movement of the water muffled in his ears. Rhett heard a splash and felt the water hit his chest and stomach. He opened his eyes, peeking over at Link. A sly grin tugging the corner of his mouth upward. 

Rhett closed his eyes again, which must not have been the reaction Link was hoping for. He splashed him again. Rhett still didn't move, only smiled up at the sky. 

Then he felt hands on his shoulder, pushing him into the water just enough that he lost his balance and floated upright. "What the hell?" He chuckled, arms moving at his sides to stay afloat. 

"What," Link asked innocently, quirking an eyebrow in Rhett's direction. 

"Really?" Rhett said, shaking his head. He acting like he was going to turn around but quickly lunged at Link, grabbing both his shoulders and pushing him into the water. He let go and swam around him, letting Link surface on his own. 

"Hey," He said when he emerged, shaking his head and immediately going after Rhett in the water. 

Link was a much stronger swimmer than Rhett, so he caught up to the taller boy easily and did the same to him. Rhett could have easily over powered Link, but it was more fun to let him get a few hits in. 

They had wrestled in the water before but something about the way Link touched him was... different. Rhett wasn't sure if it was himself or Link that had changed, but he felt his fingers linger a little longer than usual and his eyes sparkled in a way that made Rhett's heart beat a little faster. 

They eventually made their way over to the base of the waterfall. A large rock, jutted out, slanted slightly down as the water cascaded over top of it. Rhett hoisted himself onto it. His hands grabbing the edge of the rock as he sat, framing his legs. 

Link followed suit, settling in next to Rhett, dropping his hands in his lap. "I, uh..." Link started, seeming nervous all of a sudden, his fingers never coming to a complete rest. "I'm really glad I met you, Rhett." 

Rhett looked over to him, his eyes darting to everything except Rhett, the corners scrunched up from the glare of the sun. "Me too, Link. This is... the closest friendship I've had with... anyone." Rhett admitted. _Was it too early to call what this was friendship?_ Rhett started to panic. 

"I almost got expelled from school." He blurted out, in some sort of desperate attempt to get Link to trust him. Friends were honest with each other. Link looked over to him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Rhett could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks, the cool water at his back doing nothing to counter it. "I - I," He sighed. _No going back now_ , he thought. 

He focused on the water in front of them, slowly moving his feet in an attempt to get the nerves out of his body. "I was stupid and I got really behind on my schoolwork. So I bought a few papers from someone and I got caught. That's how I lost my scholarship. That's why I'm out here with my parents. I needed time to think about what I did." He explained the metaphorical sending him to his room, shoulders slumped. 

This was it. There is no way Link would want to be friends with Rhett now. Rhett was sure that he would storm off, leaving Rhett sitting right there at the bottom of the waterfall. 

"That's... What made them let you stay?" He asked. 

The question surprised Rhett, though he wasn't exactly sure why. "I - I told them it just happened once. They wanted me to turn in the person that sold it to me. Said I could keep my scholarship if I did. But... I don't know. That felt worse than... dealing with all this." He gestured in the air with his hand. "He's a good guy and he was just trying to pay for his school." He finished, shrugging at the explanation. 

"Geez," Was all he heard Link say. He didn't want to look up to him, afraid what he would see if he did. "We - I mean, we all make mistakes." 

Rhett looked up to Link, "Really?" Hardly believing that was all he had to say. 

"Well, yeah. I've done stupid shit too. But, are you gonna do it again?" 

"No," He scoffed, sure he wouldn't be that stupid again. 

"Then you learned the lesson. Don't beat yourself up over it. That won't help anyone. Just... do better." Link explained as he folded his leg under himself, turning toward Rhett, looking intently to him. 

Rhett thought on that for a moment. "Yeah, I guess - you're right." 

"Trust me, you're not the first person to disappoint your parents." Link said, clapping Rhett on the shoulder. 

"You speaking from experience?" Rhett joked in an attempt to lighten the mood that he'd put them both in. 

He chuckled but the smile didn't reach his eyes, "Something like that."

He felt Link's knuckles graze against his fingers, again lingering a little longer than necessary. He'd never wanted to hold anyone's hand more than that moment. Would that be okay? Do friends do that? Guys aren't supposed to hug, right? He had a million thoughts running through his mind. 

Link jumped off the rock and into the water at their feet, "Let's eat. I'm starving." He hollered over his shoulders as he swam away from Rhett. Breaking whatever spell Rhett seemed to be under every time they touched. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate all the comments and kudos, y'all are the absolute best <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett can't sleep. Whatever will he do to pass the time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure Link's (and Rhett's) families are wonderful people. None of this story indicates how I perceive them in any way. It's purely fiction.

Rhett stared at the ceiling of his tent, unable to turn his mind off long enough to even shut his eyes, let alone drift off to sleep. 

He couldn't be sure exactly what it was that was keeping him from a restful night. 

It definitely wasn't Link. It wasn't the increase in prolonged touches between the two. It wasn't the ease of carrying on a conversation with someone he'd known for hardly a week now but somehow it felt like they'd known each other forever. It wasn't the way his blue eyes seemed to get even brighter when he saw Rhett. (Rhett didn't even want to think about the way _his_ body reacted when he saw Link.) 

Nope. It wasn't any of that. 

The dreams that were damn near constant could have been a factor with his lack of sleep, too. He'd always had pretty vivid dreams, he even started a dream journal while in college but this was different.

It seemed so real, like he had been there before... Which, of course he had been there before, it was the campground, after all. But it was almost like a...

"Ugh." He grunted, sitting upright in his tent, refusing to dissect whatever the hell kind of game his mind was playing with him. He slipped into a shirt and climbed out of his tent, not really caring how much noise he made. His parents were already dead to the world, both being pretty sound sleepers. 

He started down the road, sure of where he was headed. He seemed to always have this - need to be around Link. It wasn't healthy to want to be with someone this much, right? Even close friends didn't feel this much of a pull, Rhett was sure of it. 

It didn't stop him from finding Link's campsite, though. He planned on just chalking it up to not being able to sleep. When in reality he just wanted to be near Link. Breath the same air as he did, exist in the same space together like they so often did during the day. His nights had gotten lonely without Link there.

Things hadn't ended great when Link surprised Rhett at his tent. But the beer had been the reason Link left in such a hurry that time. At least that's what he told himself.

When he saw Link's camp ahead, he spotted a low glow coming from the smaller of the two tents. Making Rhett's heart nearly leap out of his chest. He stepped lightly on the gravel, trying his best not to disturb Link's mom and step-dad or scare Link half to death. Rhett could picture his twitching hands now if he heard footsteps outside his tent and smiled to himself. 

"Link," He whispered when he got close enough. 

He could hear Link rustling around in the tent and after a moment watched the hint of a shadow reach for the zipper. He unzipped it and looked to Rhett, eyebrows knit together, "Rhett, what're you..." His eyes darted over Rhett's shoulder to his mom's tent as he lowered his voice, "What're you doing here?" 

"Couldn't sleep." He shrugged, giving the other boy a half smile, hoping he played it off okay. Again, Link's eyes floated over to the other tent. Rhett's face felt warm, maybe he shouldn't have come. Link didn't exactly look happy to see him. "Right, sorry." Not succeeding in hiding the disappointment in his voice. "I'll - just..."

"No, wait," He said, grabbing Rhett's arm as he turned around. Rhett ignored the warm feeling trail up his arm at the touch. "Just... be quiet, okay?" Link said, opening the tent the rest of the way. 

Rhett was hesitant at first, he didn't want to get Link in trouble. But, his need to be near Link outweighed reason at this point. So, he climbed in past Link after the other boy gave him crooked smile.

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" Link asked, leaving the door open a sliver. 

"Nah, I don't know why. I'm honestly exhausted." 

Link got himself comfortable in his sleeping bag again, Rhett now noticing he was only wearing his boxers and probably wanted to cover up. "Yeah, that was fun today but damn my legs are sore." He smiled, tucking the covers around him and Rhett noticed the CD player at his side, pulling his attention away from the thought of Link's attire at the moment.

He nodded to it, "Whatcha listening to?

"Brooks & Dunn." He said simply, smiling down at it then up at Rhett. "Wanna listen?" Rhett looked down again at the headphones attached. Link must have read his mind. "I can turn it up loud and just lay it between us. The sound carries pretty good." 

Rhett couldn't deny that sounded like heaven; good music, good company, and it would give them an excuse to sit close together. 

Rhett made himself comfortable, Link's tent being a little more spacious than his own - a little cleaner too. They laid on the sleeping bag, both their heads on Link's pillow, bodies angled away from each other but shoulders touching. 

Rhett tried ignoring the smell surrounding him that always accompanied Link. It was so strong now, Rhett noticing a floral scent he never had before. Maybe it was whatever laundry detergent they used. Whatever it was, it suited Link and Rhett was sure he'd never forget it.

They listened to several tracks, neither speaking, only swaying to the music. 

Link started humming first, moving his fingers to the beat, brushing his arm against Rhett's. Rhett joined him and soon they were both whisper-singing along. 

_"Heel toe, do si do. Come on, baby let's go boot scootin'"_

Rhett laughed out loud at Link's drawl on the last note, it in turn, got Link tickled and soon they could hardly breath from giggling so much. 

"Link, what the devil are you doing out here?" A voice came from the other side of the tent.

They immediately stopped. Link gave a horrified look over to Rhett and muttered a 'shit' before answering. "Sorry, Momma. Just... reading a funny story." Rhett could make out the subtle wince from the unbelievable excuse.

"Well, my goodness." Rhett watched as the faint figure moved to the zipper, already half open. Link frantically pulled the blanket over his body, tucking it tight to his sides. 

"Momma, wait."

His plea came to late. The zipper opened to reveal a middle aged women, her hair falling in soft waves around her face. The humorous, if not slightly annoyed look on her face vanished when she made eye contact with Rhett. "What is going on here?" Her voice changing as quickly as her expression had. Rhett heard Link draw a sharp breath in, seeming to prepare for whatever shitstorm was about to come their way.

"It's nothing, Momma. We... were just listening to music." Link explained. 

"Charles Lincoln Neal. We've discussed this." 

Rhett was a little confused as to what was happening. He didn't really understand the big deal, they _were_ just listening to music. 

He felt like he needed to say something, defend Link somehow, who was clearly very flustered at his mom's reaction. "Ma'am, It's my fault. I..." 

She jerked her head toward Rhett, staring daggers at him. "I think _you_ need to go." She spat. 

Rhett looked to Link and muttered a 'sorry' as he awkwardly crawled out of the tent, feeling like shit for even emerging from his own that night. 

Link's mom lowered her voice as Rhett walked away but he could still hear her growl at Link, "I thought we were past this, Link." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure Link's (and Rhett's) families are wonderful. This is pure fiction and in no way indicates how I perceive them. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and commenting and giving kudos! Love you, beasties <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link opens up to Rhett about some things that happened at college.

After tossing and turning for the remainder of the night, Rhett got up the next morning to search the campgrounds for Link. He checked his campsite, knowing that wasn't one of his brighter ideas but he did it anyway. The visit earned him a pretty harsh glare from who he could only assume was Link's stepdad. 

He left quickly, instead looking for him at the playground, in the field by the bath-house where the hammocks were set up, the short trails that wound by the river - nothing. 

He decided to go check out some of the longer trails by the camp, thinking he may have more luck out there, when he saw someone on the dock. Sitting on the edge, their feet dangling over the side. Sure enough, once he got closer he could make out the shaggy dark hair and broad shoulders of Link. 

He let out a sigh of relief but it was replaced quickly with dread, creeping up his spine as he made his way down the path. Realizing that he would actually have to talk to Link about what happened last night. He might even have to think about the fact that Link (or rather his mom) may not want to see him. What if his mom forbid him from spending time with Rhett altogether? 

He had to talk to him or else his mind would run away from him. Rhett didn't even want to think about not being able to see Link, not after how close they had become. 

He slowed his hurried steps once he reached the dock, the boards creaking under his feet with every step, "Link," He said softly. Link turned his head to the side, acknowledging Rhett's presence then turning his attention back to the river. 

Rhett came to a stop beside Link, but didn't move to sit down, feeling like he should be invited. The last thing he wanted was to push Link away. He needed to be supportive, like Link was when he told...

His thoughts were interrupted when Link cleared his throat, "I guess I owe you an explanation." 

"You don't owe me nothing. I just - wanted to make sure you were okay." Rhett said honestly. Even though he wanted to know exactly what happened, but he would understand if Link would rather not talk about it. "Parents can be a pain in the ass sometimes, huh?" Hoping that would give Link a way out of the conversation if he wanted to take it. 

"Understatement of the century." Link huffed out a laugh, "I... I wanna tell you." Link looked up to Rhett then nodded to the dock beside him, pleading for him to sit. Rhett did so, sandal clad feet almost getting close enough to the water to dip his toes in. He didn't even have the chance to get comfortable before Link started. 

"When I was down in Georgia at school - it wasn't really my choice to come back here." He confessed, looking down at his hands where his fingers hadn't stopped moving since Rhett stumbled down to the dock. Rhett remained quiet, not really surprised. Link had implied as much. 

"My mom caught me with someone in my dorm room. In a series of horribly unfortunate mix ups," He looked back up, chuckling to himself. "She walked in while... shit, you know what I mean." Link let out an uneasy laugh as he looked over to Rhett, wanting him to finish the puzzle on his own.

Rhett could figure out what he meant. But, she had to know that those things happen in college, right? What exactly was she expecting, for him to stay celibate until marriage? Plus, it still didn't explain why his mom reacted that way last night. Rhett thought he had it bad with strict parents, but his dad had all but given him the condoms himself. 

"Umm, yeah. I know what you mean." Rhett hesitated, debating on not asking the question at all and just leaving things left unsaid. His curiosity got the better of him. "But, why did your mom get so upset last night? Are you not allowed to have people over - at all?" 

Link looked to Rhett again, his face drawn tight in confusion and then coming to a rest again. He shook his head and looked back to the water, chuckling, sounding a little more authentic this time. 

"What?" Rhett wondered. 

"Rhett," he said, bluntly, "She caught me with another guy."

"Oh..." _OH! How am I this stupid?_ Of course, that's the reason she reacted that way. Even though what he and Link were doing was perfectly innocent (Rhett's thrill at touching Link being willfully ignored at this point), she assumed... _Oh, gosh._

Link's face strained itself into a smile, realizing Rhett was finally getting it. 

"So, you're... you're gay?" Rhett asked for clarification, wincing as he said it and looking out at the river. Avoiding the awkward eye contact that was sure to come from this conversation. 

Link shuffled beside Rhett, thinking about his answer, "Honestly, I don't know. I don't really have it all figured out. I know I like guys but I'll probably be forced to marry a girl. Give Momma the grand kids she's so desperate..." Link stopped suddenly, Rhett looking to him again to see what stopped him. "This is freaking you out isn't it? I didn't want to tell you... but then last night happened and I just..." 

He trailed off, then brought his feet up to the dock and stood up, turning to leave. 

"Link, wait." Rhett hurried to stand too. Link stopped but didn't turn around to face Rhett. "I'm not freaked out. If I'm being honest, I've never... I don't know anyone who's like you - in that way. But, you're still my friend. I'm sorry they made you feel like you can't be yourself." Rhett said and much to his relief, Link's body relaxed - really relaxed - as he turned around to face the tall boy once again. 

"Thanks, Rhett. I - I don't know what to say. That means a lot."

They stood together, Rhett's hands in his pockets, fidgeting with a stray piece of lint. Link broke the silence after a moment. "You wanna go swimming?"

Rhett smiled, but was hesitant. He didn't want to make matters worse between Link and his family but there was no way he could stop spending time with him, "Are you sure that's a good idea. I - I don't wanna get you in any more trouble." 

Link shrugged, "I think I did a pretty good job at explaining that we were just friends. Plus, what they don't know, right?" 

Rhett agreed with that, seemed like the less their parents knew, the better. Still, his heart sunk in a way Rhett couldn't exactly explain at the 'just friends' comment. They _were_ just friends but somehow that didn't quiet explain it for Rhett, he felt like a lot more than just friends. 

He pushed the feeling down, whatever those feelings were, there was no sense in dragging them out and unpacking them right now. It would only end up making him more confused. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Link is usually the one that's clueless... I thought it would be fun to switch it up :)
> 
> Thanks for reading. Find me on Tumblr mythicalrobyn118 <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truth or dare, anyone?

"Truth," Link said, a twinkle in his eye that Rhett had come to adore seeing. 

It had been Link's idea to play this stupid game. They had both grown tired of swimming and hiking so they found themselves on a boulder, off the path of one of the trails that circled the campground. Link sat on the edge, legs dangling over the side while Rhett laid back, resting his back against the rough bark of a tree. The two playing a game that usually accompanied middle school sleepovers. 

It had been two days since Link confessed to Rhett that he liked guys. They hadn't really discussed it, Rhett not really knowing how to breech the subject and he assumed Link didn't want to talk about it. 

But... he had so many questions. 

This game, however stupid and immature it was, may be the best way to approach the awkward subject. Rhett thought for a moment. "Are you a virgin?" Rhett asked, biting the inside of his cheek immediately after asking. That seemed innocent enough, hopefully it didn't come across too painfully obvious.

"Shit," Link chuckled. "Coming out with the big guns now, huh?" Rhett gave a non-committal shrug, hoping to play off his indifference. "No, I'm not." Link answered. 

That was the answer Rhett expected, honestly. He had no idea where the next question came from, hearing himself ask, "Was it with who your mom caught you with?" He internally palmed himself in the forehead. _Way to be subtle, Rhett._

Link's eyebrows shot up, "Hey now, you get one question. Don't try to sneak no bonus truths in there." Link eyed him with a crooked smile. "Why you so curious anyway? Truth or dare?" He asked, quickly moving on. 

Rhett smiled, "Truth," 

Link seemed disappointed, and Rhett could only imagine the dare he had planned in his twisted little mind. "Are you?" He asked, matter-of-factly. 

Rhett shook his head, huffing out a laugh. "Now who's curious?" 

He preceded to tell Link the story about his first awkward encounter with Amber on prom night his senior year of high school. He cringed even now thinking about it, but it was nice, as far as first times go. He still remembered the taste of cherry chap stick and cheap liquor on her lips. 

He relived the moment for only one purpose, that maybe Link would share his story. Rhett was impossibly curious since Link had told him about his interest in guys. But his fear was coming across as _too_ curious. 

Link only nodded.

They exchanged several more rounds, a few dares mixed in with the increasingly personal truths they shared with each other. Both boys getting a little rowdier with each passing turn. Link had stood up for his last round, a dare involving him dancing without any music.

That was a bad idea. Rhett couldn't have imagined that Link would take something that was supposed to make him look stupid and turn it into some kind of private show for Rhett. His hips swinging and even under his clothes Rhett could see how slim they were. He was just so damn confident.

"You're having entirely too much fun with this." Rhett said, hiding his discomfort with a forced laugh. 

That earned a giggle from Link. "Hey, you dared me, remember." He put his hands in the air, revealing a sliver of sun-kissed skin just above his waistband. 

"Dares aren't supposed to be fun." Rhett retorted. 

"Who says?" Link finally stopped dancing, Rhett hoped he didn't hear the audible sigh of relief that escaped. 

He walked back over to Rhett and sat beside him, resting his back against the same tree. He groaned as he did so, "Alright. Truth or dare?" 

Rhett picked dare last time and Link made him lick an exceptionally slimy rock from the river. He decided to play it safe this time. "Truth," 

Link looked out across the river for a moment, it had gotten late in the day, and the sun was finally setting behind the row of trees, giving them a much needed break from its rays. Rhett looked down at his lap, popping each of his knuckles as he waited for Link to ask him a question. 

"You - you ever wonder what it's like?" Link's hushed voice made Rhett blush, feeling the heat creep up his neck and into his face. 

Rhett, shifted slightly, scooting himself up the tree a little more. "What what's like?" 

Rhett turned to look at Link who was staring at him with those impossibly blue eyes of his. "To... kiss a guy? Have you ever wondered what it's like?" He repeated. 

His mouth opened and closed several times, in an attempt to say something... _anything_. His brain wasn't sending the appropriate messages to his mouth. Link just looked to him, patiently waiting for his response. 

Rhett swallowed before nodding his head timidly. It was true. More than he'd like to admit.

He left out the fact that the thought had never crossed his mind before meeting Link. Before seeing that perfect cupid's bow that was just the right shade of pink. Before Link, he never wondered what the scratch of stubble would feel like against his face, or how it would feel for long, strong arms to wrap around his body. 

He'd tried his best to keep those thoughts away. Not ready to admit to himself what thoughts like that would mean when he finally came to terms with them. 

His heart felt like it was in his throat. Link broke eye contact, only to lock eyes with Rhett again a second later. 

"My turn. Dare." He said, Rhett swearing they could have been the only people to exist right then. Link inched closer, their shoulders touching in the usual spot, setting fire to Rhett's skin as he felt Link's breath on his face. 

"I - I," he breathed out but stopped when Link drew his lower lip in between his teeth. 

Link didn't speak, only waited on Rhett to make a move. 

_It's no big deal._ He thought to himself, _It's just a game and we can just pretend like it didn't happen tomorrow. Link's offering, right?_

With a deep breath he whispered the words that somehow only felt right when spoken to Link, "Kiss me." 

And just like that, Link's lips were on his. Smooth, just like all the other kisses he'd experienced but the subtle scratch of the short hair on Link's face was a reminder that this wasn't like every other kiss. 

It was better. In absolutely every way, it was better. His lips soft, if a little chapped and tasted fruity with a hint of mint. He let out the breath he'd been holding in and fell into the kiss, actively participating instead of frozen in place, letting himself enjoy the feeling of being this close to Link. 

Link's pressure increased, egged on by Rhett's response. Rhett's hands traveled up to the back of Link's neck, holding him there, even though the shorter boy was making no effort to back away. 

Rhett felt a hand on his chest, fisting the front of his shirt as Link's tongue licked into his mouth. 

He heard a moan, quiet and muffled and it took him a moment to realize it was his own voice that made the noise. The hand migrated lower, resting on the outside of his thigh, gently kneading it, seemingly pushing whatever they were doing further. Whether it was intentional or not, Rhett lost every bit of his nerve. Finally pulling away and removing Link's hand from his leg. 

_Fuck!_

He got up, his long legs moving as quick as they ever had, leaving Link sitting on the rock. "I - it's getting late. I better..." 

"Rhett. I'm sorry. I..." 

Rhett held his hand up, signaling Link to stop. "It's cool, really." he paused to clear his throat that felt like it could close up at any moment, stealing his breath straight from his body, exactly like Link just did. "I'll see ya." He let out an awkward laugh before turning and jumping off the rock. 

"Rhett, wait... Please." Link said. Rhett kept going, pretending not to hear him, power walking his way back to the safety of his camp. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr - mythicalrobyn118


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett goes back to camp after the kiss and learns a few new things from his mom.

He made it back to camp, his mom just now laying out the things to cook dinner. He rushed into his tent and grabbed his things for the shower. Ready to wash the sweat of the day from his body. He needed to disappear - get his head on straight. He'd feel better after a shower, too. That always worked. 

He let the warm water wash over him, knowing he needed to turn the cold water on to get those thoughts out of his head, to stop thinking about the way Link's breath felt on his face, and the way his slender fingers squeezed his thigh. Every time he shut his eyes, he could still feel the heat from his touch, burning into his skin.

Without thinking, he reached down, taking his already hard cock in his hands and stroking it, only once. But eliciting a moan that echoed off the walls of the shower stall all too well. He quickly bit his lip, forcing himself to keep quiet. 

All the thoughts that told him he shouldn't be doing this faded into background noise. Rhett's focus was solely on how good each sweep of his thumb across the tip felt, and how much better it would feel if Link's touch replaced his own. Imagining that it was Link's mouth that was keeping him quiet, Link's heart beating against his chest. 

Soon he was painting the tiles in the shower white, and even though Link's name never passed his lips, it echoed in his head over and over again. An unidentified part of his brain wishing they could share this together, wishing that he had never got up or stopped the kiss in the first place. 

He quickly cleaned the wall of the shower and tried to scrub his transgression off his body. The shower hadn't made him feel better. Was it possible to feel dirtier _after_ a shower? 

He got ready in a daze, and before he knew it he was sitting at the picnic table. His arms folded over each other, his head resting on top for a makeshift pillow, waiting for his mom to finish her preparations for dinner. Completely lost in the thoughts of what he'd just done. Both kissing Link and subsequently jerking off to the thought of it in the shower. 

_You're such a fucking hypocrite._ Rhett silently scolded himself. 

He told Link to be himself. He _wanted_ Link to be himself. But as soon as the shoe was on the other foot, Rhett turns and runs like a fucking coward. How could he even face him again? He barely could face himself. Did he really have those feelings for Link? If he didn't - why had that kiss been so perfect? Why couldn't he get it out of his mind? 

His stomach churned. 

Was he really ready for living that life... Link could live that life, he was strong and confident and fearless. Rhett wasn't a single one of those things. He could never withstand the hate, the whispers... his parents would probably disown him. 

His attention turned back to his mother, realizing that she was talking to him. 

"... so tore up about him leaving..." 

He looked up to see her absently getting the plates out of the large tub at the end of the table. "Wait, what?" Rhett asked, face drawn tight. 

"Honestly, Rhett what's gotten into you today? You haven't heard a word I've said." She looked to him for a sign of apology, which Rhett gave and she continued, her tone a little more abrasive than before. "I was saying that I finally remembered where I knew your friend, Link, from." 

"When you were, I guess about 8 or 9 maybe. We came camping up here and you met him. Y'all had a ball together. He didn't have the glasses back then though. Guess that's why it took me a bit to remember him." 

He must have misheard her. He shook his head, in an attempt to dislodge whatever it was that was stuck in his ear, "Wait, Ma. Are you sure?" Rhett asked skeptically, he had a feeling he would remember meeting Link, even back then. 

"Yes, I'm sure. His mama's name is Sue I saw her a couple of days ago up at the bath house. That's when it clicked." 

Rhett tried his best to remember, he closed his eyes and tried to picture Link and himself on the rickety playground or running on the banks of the river. But his mind only conjured visions of present day.

"I don't remember that. Shouldn't I remember something from when I was 9?" He asked. 

"Well, I don't know, baby. You took it real hard when he left, I remember that. You didn't sleep, cried all the time, moped around here for days afterward." She shook her head, exasperated by past Rhett's reaction. "Though, it _was_ strange, one day we woke up and they were just... gone. You ran back to our camp almost hyperventilating. You thought something horrible had happened. 'Course, we never really knew. They didn't leave any way to contact 'em - no reason why. Just... left." She shrugged, moving her attention to the tin-foil packets sizzling over the campfire. 

Rhett's eyes darted around to the trees, his hands splayed wide on the table, searching for a way to ground himself. The world around him was spinning, while he sat powerless at the table, no way to make it stop. 

_Then he remembered..._

_He remembered himself huddled close to his mother's chest. Crying, soaking the front of her shirt with stinging tears. "Sometimes special people come into our lives, stay for a bit, then they have to go." She said._

_He could feel the pain behind each sob as clearly as if it happened yesterday, his heart ached in his chest. "I know it's sad." She continued, "but, the part when they were here was happy, right? Maybe that makes it all worth it."_

_"Will I see him again?" younger Rhett asked, looking up to his mother, wiping his nose._

_"You never know, the world's a magical place." She said, wiping the tears that fell down his round cheeks._

Rhett tried to regain his composure, letting out the breath he'd been holding in, only to draw in short and shallow ones, making his lungs burn. 

He had to talk to Link. Did he remember? Did he know who Rhett was this whole time? Suddenly he was up, sprinting away from his camp as fast as his long legs would carry him, in a hurry to get to the boy he'd just ran away from. 

"Rhett... Where are you going? Dinner's almost ready." His mom yelled behind him. 

He turned, looking over his shoulder, never breaking his stride, "I'll eat when I get back. I gotta.... I gotta go." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The inspiration for this story came from one of my daughter's favorite shows "Bluey." The episode I drew from is titled, "Camping" if you'd like to watch it - which I highly recommend. It's only a seven minute video but it is literally the sweetest thing I've ever watched. I couldn't stop thinking about the story-line and of course, I had to Rhink-ify it. The part where Rhett's mom is speaking to him in italics are quotes from the show (slightly modified for context). 
> 
> I didn't want to post the inspiration before now because I didn't want any spoilers that they actually knew each other the whole time. 
> 
> I really hope I did it justice and I can't wait to finish this story and give them their happy ending. As always thanks for reading! Your comments and kudos give me life <3
> 
> Tumblr - mythicalrobyn118


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett confronts Link about his past memories, things don't go well.

The memories kept flooding back to him as he rushed down the road to Link's camp, the sudden realization opened up a part of his memory he'd long since forgotten. 

He remembered little Link and little Rhett, sporting the same bowl haircut only distinct in the color it was, smiling a cheeky smile as they rode their bikes along the trails around camp. He remembered swimming by the beach as each of their families called for them to come in from the water to eat but neither wanting their fun to end. Most of all, though, he remembered the way Link made him feel, carefree and weightless.

It was a feeling similar to what he felt now, only now those feelings were so much more complex than they were back then. 

He slowed down as he rounded the last turn before seeing Link's tent in the distance. He wasn't exactly sure what he would say when he saw Link - his mind was moving so fast, he could barely keep up. 

But he had to see Link - he had to talk to him.

He didn't hold back when he made it. "Link," He yelled, stopping beside the car parked on the driveway. "Link." He said again, after no answer. 

Link's mother emerged from the bigger of the two tents, looking more than a little irritated and confused at the stranger suddenly yelling outside. "What in the..." 

Rhett didn't let her finish, "Is Link here?" She opened her mouth to respond but Link walked up on the side opposite of them, the same look of confusion on his face. 

"Rhett, wh - what's wrong?" Link asked, clearly concerned about the tall boy. 

Rhett walked right up to him, finally lowering his voice to a whisper. "I need to talk to you." 

Link looked terrified, but Rhett was too keyed up to care, his urgency getting more intense with each second that passed. Link looked over Rhett's shoulder to his mother. "Rhett, I -"

"Please..." Rhett interrupted. "It's important." 

"Okay," Link said, nodding slightly to Rhett and telling his mom that he'd be back. Rhett didn't wait on him to finish before pulling him out of sight and onto one of the many trails that led to the river. 

Link followed silently, Rhett unable to spend time thinking about holding Link's hand and instead consumed by the memories that were still resurfacing.

Rhett slowed his footsteps, easing his grasp on Link, who let his hand fall to his side. "Rhett, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." 

"Do you remember me?" Rhett asked, stepping into Link's space.

"What?" Link asked, caught off guard at the question. 

"My mom just told me that... that she remembered you from years ago. That we've met before. That we played together - here, when we were kids." It all just poured out from Rhett, not thinking about the best way to deliver the news. 

Link's shoulders relaxed, breaking eye contact with Rhett. "Not at first." He shook his head and looked back to Rhett, answering his original question. 

_He knew!_

Rhett had to fight through the tears that threatened to fall. "Why, Link? You just - just left. Not even a fucking note... nothing." Rhett didn't realize he was angry until his voice came out with venom dripping off every word. 

The hurt from all those years ago coming back full force, as he relived the devastation that was left behind when Link was gone.

Link put his hands up defensively, "No, Rhett. You don't understand..."

"Yeah, you're right I don't. I don't understand how someone could just up and leave without so much as a warning. I thought we were friends. I thought I was special to you. I thought..." He let his arms fall, turning his back to Link. "I don't know what I thought." 

_Don't cry, damn it. Not now._

Rhett didn't know how to navigate all of these emotions. He was hurt and bitter and a bunch of other things he couldn't put into words right now. 

"Are you really upset at me for something that happened when we were kids?" Link asked, circling Rhett so he could see him again. 

Rhett turned defensive in his overly sensitive state. "Yeah, that's exactly what I am. And I'm mad at you for not telling me as soon as you remembered." He could feel the heat rushing to his face as he spat out the words. 

"I didn't think it was worth mentioning, Rhett. You didn't seem to remember me, I wasn't gonna bring it up. What was I gonna say?" No matter how much sense that made, Rhett was still angry and he couldn't just stand there anymore.

He turned again, stomping down the path deeper into the forest, not knowing exactly where he was headed, only ready to leave this godforsaken place behind him along with everything that came with it, including Link.

"No, Rhett." Link shouted after him, the tone making him stop his stride. "Don't run off again, damn it." The irony made Rhett chuckle.

He turned around, he may not get another chance - he may as well speak his peace. He looked to Link, his voice softer but just as pained. "You broke me, Link. Do you know that? My first real friendship ended when you went MIA. You have any idea what that does to a guy that's unsure of himself anyway. I thought I did something. I blamed myself... for a long time. Fuck, I apparently blocked out the memory because it was too painful to deal with."

Images flashed in his mind like a slide show; crying into his pillow at night, cuddled with his mom, only feeling secure when he was around her, holding back from talking too much to the kids at school because he was so afraid that he would say something to drive someone else away. He could never fully be himself around anyone - except Link. That made his eyes spew tears, painful and raw. 

_So much for not crying in front of him_ , he thought. 

Rhett looked to Link, his blue eyes dull and lacking their usual playfulness, completely silent. Rhett fell silent too, waiting for Link to respond. To call Rhett crazy. To defend what he did. Hell, to say he missed Rhett too - anything. 

"Then to find out..." Rhett started again but couldn't get farther than a few words. Exasperated, Rhett hung his head and walked away from Link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies, they have to air everything out before they can get together, right? 
> 
> I am starting back to work this week but I'm still planning on posting like I have been, if all goes well ;) Thanks for the encouragement, comments and kudos! You beasties are the besties <3
> 
> Tumblr - mythicalrobyn118


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link speaks his peace too, after playing catch up with Rhett.

Rhett heard the rush of footsteps behind him, knowing Link was trying to catch up with him. He didn't know why but it made him feel somewhat better, at least knowing he was worth chasing after.

"Rhett, wait." Link huffed, trying to match Rhett's long strides; not succeeding, given his uneven breaths. 

Rhett was silent. But Link didn't stop, determined to make the taller boy listen. Until Rhett heard a stumble behind him and a muttered 'damn it.' 

"Rhett, can you please slow down?" The irritation very evident in his voice and Rhett could imagine his brows knit tightly together, the shake of his hands even more obvious than usual. 

Rhett kept walking and the footsteps behind him stopped before yelling out at him, "You think it was all sunshine and rainbows for me after that?" Rhett stopped finally. His body going rigid at the question. 

Rhett hadn't stopped to think about it. He hadn't even thought to consider why Link left in the first place.

"You wanna know why I had to leave that day?" He snapped. "You at all curious as to why a 9 year old may not have had a choice in the matter?" 

_Shit_! 

The footsteps began again, drawing closer, Rhett hearing the rustle of the pine needles and dried leaves circle him. Link made his way around Rhett, his neck flushed crimson, his eyes bloodshot from not yet fallen tears. 

"They _made_ me pack up and leave, Rhett. I tried to stop them but once I told them that I thought I had a crush on the boy down the road, they were done listening to anything I had to say." He looked to the ground, his voice breaking at the memory, "We packed up and left that night. I tried sneaking away to tell you - to say goodbye. But..." He trailed off then, his gaze fixed on the floor of the forest.

Rhett's stomach turned at the thought of Link being made to leave during the night because of Rhett.

It was never Link's fault and Rhett was an idiot to ever believe it was. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry as he tried to speak. "Link, I - I don't know what to say." 

Link scoffed, "Yeah." He spun to the side, running a hand through his hair and wrapping it around the back of his neck. "It was all innocent enough. I was a fuckin' kid..." another deep breath, "... they didn't care." 

They both stood in silence for a while, Link never meeting Rhett's gaze after his confession, and Rhett felt colder because of it. He'd been an asshole. He was so caught up in how Link had wronged him, he never stopped to think that Link may be hurting too. 

Link finally looked back to Rhett, the taller boy avoiding eye contact, ashamed of how he had acted. "Leaving that night was a nightmare. I felt like part of me..." Abandoning the thought quickly, but Rhett desperately wanted to hear the ending of that sentence. "And I couldn't even talk to anyone about it. Heaven knows my parents didn't want to hear it." 

Rhett cleared his throat, daring to speak again. "When did you remember me - remember who I was?" 

"I never forgot you, Rhett. I thought maybe it was a coincidence that you had the same name as the kid I used to play with." Rhett brought his head up so he could see Link, the tears falling down his face, causing Rhett's heart to ache and a lump to form in his throat. "But, then everything you did reminded me of him. I knew it had to be you then. You... you don't forget your first love." He whispered so quietly that Rhett could barely hear it. 

Rhett let out a small gasp at the word. He hadn't dreamed all this up, they shared something that was special. Rhett knew that now and regardless of the life his parents had planned for him, regardless of the whispers at school, regardless of his own fucking anxiety. All that be damned, this feeling was the only thing that mattered - this feeling he'd had trouble putting his finger on the last few weeks, this feeling had to be love. 

Before he could think about his movements, he was closing the distance between them. Link was taken aback at the sudden movement, stepping back with wide eyes.

Rhett gently framed Link's face with his hands and drew the shorter boy closer, the thinnest sliver of space between their lips, holding there; waiting - begging for Link to meet him the rest of the way. 

He did. 

Their lips locked for the second time that day. The warm feeling in the pit of his stomach stronger than ever because Rhett wasn't second guessing himself. This was the only thing in his life that ever felt right to him; natural and effortless and absolutely perfect. 

He felt hands behind his back, splayed wide then drawn into tight fists, gripping his shirt, his breath hitching as Link pulled his body closer. He brought his hands down from Link's face to rest on slim hips, a touch he had wanted to act on for longer than he knew. 

Curious thumbs found their way under Link's shirt, rubbing the skin there in small, purposeful circles, feeling the waistband of his boxers, sitting just above his pants. 

He felt the gasp before he heard it. Link's chest drawing a deep breath in and exhaling slow and deliberate into Rhett's mouth. His lips parting slightly and that was all the invitation Rhett needed. 

He had no idea where all this courage was coming from, but he willed it to never leave. He licked into Link's open mouth, swallowing the moan that could have come from either one of them honestly, Rhett wasn't sure.

Their own version of heaven was cut short by a voice booming out into he woods, " Lincoln, where the devil are you, boy?" A man's voice said, obviously still a distance away but too close for comfort for either of them. Link pushed Rhett off of him, Rhett moving equally as fast at the sound. 

Link jerked his head around, seemingly looking for the origin of the sound and quickly pulled Rhett by the hand a short distance off the path to the base of a rocky overhang. Several boulders scattered the floor of the shallow cave, the inside walls were damp and covered in a layer of rich green moss. 

Link lowered his voice to a whisper, "Can you meet me here tonight? After your parents go to bed?"

Rhett nodded, he was pretty sure he would agree to anything at this point. He'd give anything to have Link's hands on him again, his lips, his... 

"Okay," Link's whisper interrupted his thought. "Wait a couple of minutes and walk that way 'till you hit a trail. It'll lead out down the road from my camp a piece." 

He hurriedly looked for confirmation from Rhett, which he received in the form of an open mouth nod and turned to walk off, fiddling with his clothes in the process. Rhett's hand immediately went to the other boy's arm. 

_Just one more_ , he thought as Link spun around, Rhett planting another kiss on those perfect lips, quick but no less passionate.

They broke apart again, this time Link looking like a deer caught in headlights and Rhett enjoyed the change of scenery. Rhett smiled, again mustering up the courage from somewhere and whispered hot breath against Link's skin, "See you tonight." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm so encouraged by everyone's lovely comments. 
> 
> Can't wait to give our boys the happy ending they deserve <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY!!!!!! 😉

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter because I have no self control and I didn't want to break this into 2 parts.

Rhett made his way through the dark brush that night, his stomach twisting and turning from excitement and anxiety about what tonight could hold. 

He lost most of his courage that he found earlier that day when he made it back to his own camp. He spent the rest of the evening playing the moment over and over again in his mind. Dissecting every move he made and word he spoke. Convincing himself that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go tonight. 

He could barely keep up the act of pretending everything was fine until his parents finally disappeared into their tent. Once they did, he got ready and sneaked out. Although, the term 'sneak out' was used very loosely. Rhett's parents trusted him for the most part, at least socially. So he didn't have to worry about being caught. He felt a pang of sadness knowing Link wasn't afforded that luxury. 

He was a little early, but he couldn't sit in his tent anymore and twiddle his thumbs, he'd rather be there so he couldn't talk himself out of going again, he could twiddle his thumbs there. He was going to do this. He had already made up his mind about that. Choosing to ignore the anxious thoughts he had about it. 

But, if he was being honest, he wasn't exactly sure what 'this' was. He didn't know if Link just wanted to meet up to talk, or kiss some more or... do other things. 

Butterflies erupted deep in his stomach, a grin playing across his lips as he looked to the forest floor at the thought. Part of him was praying for just talking but he couldn't deny the bigger part that was pretty shamefully focused on the other two possibilities. 

Spending the night with his arms wrapped around Link sounded like pure heaven. 

It was delusional trying to convince himself there was nothing there. They had something special, something that stretched over years. What were the odds that they would meet again, after all this time and end up having the same feelings for each other?

He was still very unsure about where he stood - sexuality wise. He would have to address that at some point, he knew. But, it all seemed a little less scary if Link would be there to hold his hand, figuratively and literally. 

He brought a flashlight but he didn't really need it since the moon lit most of his way. He thought he was getting close. He made sure to pay extra attention when he left the trail earlier, mentally marking landmarks closely so he could find his way back in the dark. 

He made it to the small cave, Link wasn't there yet. Rhett looked over the ground thinking he should have brought a blanket for them to sit on. But maybe that would be weird, like Rhett was expecting.... something. 

He shook his head, as if to dislodge the leftover uncertainty from his brain and resist the urge to just run back to camp as fast as he could. He flicked the flashlight off, nothing left to do but wait.

He didn't stand there long before he heard the rustle of footsteps approaching. His heart fluttered once again, realizing he could get used to this feeling. 

"Hey," he heard Link say behind him. Rhett turned around, seeing Link standing there, blue eyes shining bright even in the dark. 

"Hey," Rhett said, his gaze flitting between Link's eyes and lips. He then noticed the lantern in his hands and the dark blanket draped over his arm. 

"I - I brought a blanket so we could sit... if you wanted to. I mean, we don't..." Link stammered, shifting from foot to foot. 

Rhett chuckled, thankful he didn't seem to be the only one a little nervous about what could happen tonight. "It's okay. I was just thinking I should have brought something, but you got it taken care of." 

They both laughed nervously. Link sat the lantern on a rock to the side after dimming it a little so it wasn't too bright and unfolded the blanket from his arm, spreading in onto the ground. Rhett straightening the side closest to him before he sat down, following Link's lead. 

They both got comfortable, the two of them filling up the small blanket relatively easily. Link sat with his legs stretched out in front of him, his hands propped up behind him, Rhett just sat cross-legged, facing Link. 

Rhett looked to Link, noticing his eyes were on his own lap, fidgeting with his fingers. "I wanted to say... I'm sorry about - today. It wasn't fair of me to come at you like that." Rhett said, still feeling guilty about how he had acted. 

Link looked to him then, "It's okay, really. I'm sorry for not telling you. But I'm - I'm glad we're here. Now." 

Rhett hummed in agreement and they both relaxed a little more, the air around them clearing enough for Rhett to draw in a calming breath. Actually taking in the beautiful night for the first time since stepping out of his tent. He looked around observing the woods around him. Hearing the crickets chirping, the river flowing and the occasional croak of a bullfrog, all blending together to make a special kind of music. 

He swung his feet around, mirroring Link now and looking up to the little sliver of stars they could see between the overhang of trees. 

He'd inched a little closer to Link while he rearranged his seating and his hand landed just below Link's (which of course was pure coincidence). Link shifted too, his hand ghosting over Rhett's and just when he thought Link would pull it away, it stayed there. Resting on top of his, he felt the warmth travel through his fingers and somehow warm his heart too. 

He guessed both of them were done trying to convince themselves that there was nothing between them. 

"Can I kiss you again?" Rhett asked, wincing at how silly it sounded once he said it out loud. He felt a blush creep up his neck and into his face. He looked to Link, who was sporting the same hint of color.

"I'd really like that." He smiled as he said it and shifted closer to Rhett so their bodies touched from their hips all the way down to their toes. 

Rhett took a deep breath, breathing in that scent that was only Link. Their lips met, tentative at first, like it was the most natural thing in the world. It turned more fevered, with lips parting and tongues licking into the other's mouth. 

Rhett wrapped his arm around Link's back, turning his body to Link as they got more familiar with each other. Link's hand was currently resting on Rhett's chest, but never settling in any one place for too long. It would be around his neck one minute and the next grazing his thigh as their mouths moved together, urging each other on. 

Rhett dipped his head, planting soft kisses along Link's jawline, the prickle of his stubble on Rhett's lips sparking tiny fires along the way. He licked his way up to his ear, then traveling down his neck. Link's hand made it's way to his hair, pulling gently with every touch of Rhett's lips to his flushed skin. 

"Rhett." Link whispered. The sound of his name on Link's tongue was almost too much for Rhett, his pants already a little too tight and the delicious noises that Link was making only made them grow tighter. 

Rhett paused to catch his breath, Link then deciding to attack his neck in the same way, drawing whimpers from Rhett. He needed to slow down or things would get out of hand, fast. But then Link pulled him closer and Rhett's free hand gripped the inside of Link's thigh. Rhett turned greedy, wanting to taste every inch of the other boy. 

"Fuck," Link whispered. With that they were falling back on the blanket, Link laying flat of his back now. Rhett put firm pressure on Link's crotch, feeling the bulge beneath the smooth fabric. Link's arousal felt hard against Rhett's hand, it was overwhelming but Rhett wanted to chase the feeling. 

Rhett backed off so he could look at Link, his blue eyes hooded and looking up at Rhett through long lashes. "Link, I don't..." He paused thinking of the best way to phrase it. "It probably goes without saying but, I've never done this before." 

Link's hands came up to frame Rhett's face, "It's okay. We don't have to go farther than this." Pulling him down for another kiss. 

"I - I want to, Link. God, I want to." Rhett growled, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth and sucking. 

That seemed to be what Link needed to hear, rolling Rhett over, switching their positions, his knee placed between Rhett's thighs. 

"Fuck, Link." Rhett husked. Link was absolutely gorgeous like this, the view made his cock ache at the need to be touched and he felt Link rut against him. 

"Can I?"

Rhett had never been in this position before, he was always the one asking if it was okay - taking the lead, it felt nice to let Link do it. He nodded furiously, dropping his head onto the blanket, his mouth going slack with pleasure, not holding back the pleas to be touched. 

Steady and even, Link palmed Rhett's erection through his shorts as he thrusted up against Rhett's thigh. Soon enough, Link was frantically searching for the button to Rhett's pants and Rhett wished he would have worn something that was a little easier to slip off. 

Rhett couldn't help the whisper of Link's name when his hand wrapped around his cock. His thumb swiping over the tip, spreading the precum down the length of it. He could already feel the heat building deep in his stomach. The need to touch Link growing stronger, wanting to make him feel half as good as he was making Rhett feel. 

He drew Link's mouth to his, "Wanna touch you." He whispered between kisses, rolling onto his side. Hands slipping under Link's shirt to get to his pants. Somehow it didn't distract Link from his point of contact on Rhett. His hand still moving slowly up and down the length of Rhett's cock. 

He felt the warm flesh of Link's cock and didn't hesitate, wrapping his slender fingers around it and stroking just like Link was, once again following his lead. 

"Am I doing it right?" Rhett couldn't help but ask, his grip wavering slightly in uncertainty. "Does it feel good?"

"Yes, Rhett. Just like that. Don't stop." Link begged, his free arm wrapped around Rhett's shoulders as his other hand wavered a little on Rhett from the pleasure of being touched. 

They turned into a mess of grunts and ragged breaths, sweat beading on their skin as the moonlight shone down on them. Rhett could feel his gut coiling, his release on the edge. "Link, I'm - " 

Before he could get the thought out Link was nodding, "Me too," His eyes focused on Rhett's, his skin a mix of dark shadows and warm light. His raven hair brushed across his forehead, never looking sexier. Just then Rhett felt the warmth spilling over his fist as Link whimpered. The thought of bringing that kind of raw pleasure to Link was enough to send Rhett over the edge and he was soon painting his own stomach with cum. Link's name on his lips as he did. 

They laid together for a moment, blissed out in the afterglow. Rhett sat up slipping his shirt up over his head and cleaning them both up. Link stared at him as he did, trying to read his expression, "You okay?" 

Rhett nodded, "Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever felt this okay." He smiled, brushing his hand over Link's forehead, sweeping the hair away from his face and gently pulling him into another kiss. 

Link rested his head on Rhett's chest, his hand drawing lazy circles on his bare stomach. Rhett flinched at the touch and he could feel Link's smile against his chest. "Tickles," He chuckled then brought his hand up to hold Link's, to keep it from any more mischief. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I'm still pretty new to writing smut so please be gentle! 
> 
> Come find me on Tumblr - mythicalrobyn118 ❤


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after

Rhett opened his eyes to the orange glow of the early morning sun flooding the woods around him. The air around him felt different somehow. It took him a moment to remember where he was, why he was outside sleeping, the night before slowly coming back to him. 

The memory of being close to Link, closer than he'd ever felt with anyone. Link's skin burning hot against his own as they explored each other in a new way. Link falling asleep on his chest under the stars. It had been perfect. 

He breathed deep, finally moving his stiff body - probably not the best idea to sleep on a rock, he had to admit. It had been worth it though. He missed Link's weight on his chest.

_Where is he?_

He sat up, his back screaming at him once again and he silently promised himself to never take advantage of his small (but soft) bunk bed in his dorm room ever again. Looking around, he noticed the lantern turned off and the blanket wrinkled where Link had fallen asleep last night. He called out for him, voice sleepy and rough.

No answer. 

It was early still, too early to already be moving around anyway. "Link," he said again a little louder, his voice breaking. He wished he would have thought to bring a drink last night. 

He looked around again, unsure of what to do with himself. Usually his mind would run away from him, slow walk to the ledge and get ready to nose dive into the worst possible conclusion he could dream up. 

_Did he leave? Was it not as magical as Rhett thought it was? Did he get up early and disappear in order to escape Rhett? To avoid the awkward conversation of 'this was nice, but it's not gonna work out.'_

Rhett decided last night, though, not to allow himself to ruin it. There was uncertainty in what they did, in what he experienced, but nothing had ever felt more right to him. So, he decided that maybe he had just gotten up to take a leak, or he was getting them something to drink - or eat. 

He heard the rustle of leaves from somewhere off the side of the cave. The knots in his stomach loosened, thankful that he didn't have to talk himself back from the edge anymore.

Link came from around the corner smiling big and humming to himself. When he saw Rhett awake his smile grew bigger. 

_God, that smile._

"Mornin' Bo." 

Rhett smiled wide, greeting Link with equal enthusiasm. "Hey, you." 

"Sorry, I had to go back to camp before my mom got up and noticed I was gone. I just left a note saying I went hiking this morning. You looked so peaceful this morning I hated to wake you." Link explained his absence and apologized for not being there when Rhett awoke. 

"It's okay, Link." Rhett chuckled, "C'mere" Rhett motioned Link over, not ready to get himself into a full standing position yet but aching to get his hands on Link again. 

Link mosied over, Rhett could have sworn he was putting an extra bit of swing in his hips. When he got close enough, Rhett reached his long arms up, grabbing his waist and pulling him into his lap. Link giggled on the way down as Rhett's big hands made him flinch away from tickles. The sound made Rhett join in, feeling the apples of his cheeks grow wide.

"Last night was... perfect." Rhett said looking into Link's baby blue eyes, crinkled at the corners from his grin.

"It was perfect." Link said before bringing Rhett's lips to his own. When he pulled back, his eyes looked sad, though and Rhett could feel the 'but' coming. 

"But, what does all this mean... for us?" Rhett finished his thought for him. Link nodded his head, looking down to Rhett's chest, running his fingers through his sprinkle of blond chest hair. 

"I wanna be with you, Rhett." 

Rhett's heart swelled, pulling Link into a rushed and sloppy kiss. "I want that too." He confessed when he pulled back, resting his forehead on Link's. 

Rhett wrapped his arms around the other boy, laying back onto the blanket, Link's weight on top of him again, his giggly breaths warm against Rhett's skin. Link maneuvered himself so his head was once again resting on Rhett's chest.

"I don't think I've ever been so happy, Link." Rhett said, but Link was quiet, and Rhett knew he was lost in the thoughts of everything that would go wrong. 

After a moment, Link spoke, "I don't know how we're gonna go about all this, honestly... but I think it will be easier if we have each other. I don't know if I can tell my Momma just yet. She'll - " he let out a pained chuckle that didn't fool either of them. "She'll probably disown me. I'm not sure I'm... ready for that." 

Rhett could hear the quiver in his voice and his heart ached for Link. Despite his mom's reluctance to accept him as he was, Rhett could tell Link loved her and he wasn't prepared to possibly never see her again. 

Then another thought hit Rhett. How would he tell his parents? Would they react the same way? Was he ready to leave behind everything he knew for Link if it came to that? His stomach suddenly felt uneasy. Why did all this have to be so hard? 

Link grabbed Rhett's hand, intertwining their fingers, making Rhett look down at Link, he'd propped his chin on his hand, looking to Rhett. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to tell anyone 'til you're ready. No pressure. It's probably best we take it slow anyway." Rhett heard the disappointment in his voice as he spoke. 

All this was overwhelming and new and... scary. But the last thing he wanted to do was take it slow. He'd waited his whole life to feel as complete as he felt with Link. 

He hugged the boy tighter and spoke, "Link - I know this is new - to me especially - but I don't want to take it slow. This just feels too right to me." 

Link sat up, turning his body toward Rhett, "Really?" He asked, eyebrows tented in suspicion. 

"Yes, really." Rhett sat up, he smiled at the thoughts of being with Link and decided to speak them, "I want to hold your hand and take you on dates. Oh, I know this great BBQ restaurant down from campus that I can take you to when we start school. You'll love it. The best beans I've ever had - next to Momma's, a'course. And we can order pizza in and watch movies together cuddled up on the couch in my dorm room. And go to the library, help each other to study - holding hands under the table." His face set on fire from the thought. "I don't know where this - " he gestured between them both. " -is gonna lead but I can't wait to experience every second of it with you beside me." 

"God, Rhett. That sounds... amazing." Link said, playfully tugging on Rhett's short beard hair and pulling him in close. "I can't wait, either." 

They spent the rest of the day simply being near each other, a tangle of arms and legs and warm kisses. Rhett had never been more excited for what the future had in store for him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I so loved writing this story! I hope I did it justice and I really hope y'all enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone for the kudos, comments, and encouragement. I'm constantly amazed at what a wonderfully encouraging and loving fandom I am a part of. I'm eternally grateful for you mythical beasts. <3
> 
> Come find me on Tumblr - mythicalrobyn118 :) send me a message, I love making new friends!


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